The Council Meeting 






o 



BY REV. G. W. WILSON 







U*^*! 



THE COUNCIL MEETING. 



1*A4«li 



1 



BY THE REV, G. W. WILSON, 

Of the Memphis Conference^ 



EDITED, WITH AN INTRODUCTION, BY JNO. J. TIGERT, LL.D., 

Book Editor, Methodist Episcopal Church, South. 



Printed for the Author 

By the Publishing House of the M. E. Church, South. 

Barbee & Smith, Agents, Nashville, Tenn. 

1S97. 

6 






I LIBRARY) 

or ©ONORE»#j 

WA3HINOTO»l 



2626 



Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1897, 

By G. W. Wilson, 
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 



CONTENTS. 

~ . Page 
Introduction v 

CHAPTER I. 
Preliminary and Else 1 

CHAPTER II. 
Who Shapes Circuits and Appoints Pastors? 6 

CHAPTER III. 
Trustees 12 

CHAPTER IV. 
Office, License, and Duties of Local Preachers 17 

CHAPTER V. 
Stewards 25 

CHAPTER VI. 
Financial Support of the Church 40 

CHAPTER VII. 
Excuses 60 

CHAPTER VIII. 
Financial Support of Our Ministry 63 

Oii) 



1NTEODUCTION. 

The following pages well illustrate how widely and 
beneficently the influence of an alert and wise pre- 
siding elder can be extended by conveying needed 
information and suggestion to all the church officers 
entitled to seats in the Quarterly Conference. The 
local traditions and customs of a circuit sometimes 
override the distinct provisions of the Discipline. 
The people may not perish for lack of spiritual 
knowledge; but the work of the Church sometimes 
lags or fails for the lack of business or legal knowl- 
edge, much of which can be gathered from a careful 
study of our form of Discipline. Church officers of 
every kind and grade should be familiar with the 
pages of that wonderful little book, and one excellent 
result of Brother Wilson's practical and pertinent 
suggestions in this pamphlet will be to send local 
preachers, stewards, trustees, and other officers to 
the Discipline itself, in which the following pages 
cannot fail to arouse an intelligent interest. 

The presiding eldership is a useful and indispensa- 
ble arm of the service. Let the incumbents masprif y 
the office, taking a real oversight of all the interests 
of the Church in their districts, and a helpful direc- 

w 



VI INTRODUCTION. 

tion of all tlie officers, and we shall hear fewer quad- 
rennial suggestions of its modification. I cordially 
commend the thoughtful perusal of the following 
pages to all those for whom they have been so care- 
fully and ably prepared. 

Jno. J. Tigeet. 

Nashville, 13 October, 1897. 



THE COUNCIL MEETING. 



CHAPTER I. 

Preliminary and Else. 

While holding Quarterly Conferences over our dis- 
trict and enjoying association with, the people on other 
occasions, I observed some conditions which doubt- 
less are common among other districts of our enlarging 
Church ; and they share these conditions with us in va- 
rying degrees: a want of information, and a conse- 
quent lack of appreciation of obligations to God, the 
Church, and the world; also a consequent looseness in 
the temporal interests of the Church. It is with the 
hope of being helpful that we offer this little book to 
the kind consideration of any into whose hands it may 
fall, wishing, too, that it may carry special encourage- 
ment into the homes where we have found such friend- 
ly hospitality. While the first two or three pages per- 
tain specially to our own field of labor, we try to make 
this, as the remaining part of the book, of interest to 
our people everywhere. 

The general condition of the district has been slowly 
improving for quite a while, and in some respects it 
is now better than ever before. Any advancement 
whatever is encouraging, but the improvement is not 
sufficient to induce ecstasy. Sometimes figures may 
not be entertaining, while they may be quite disclos- 
ing. The information given in the following table I 
gather from the " Minutes " of our Annual Confer- 
ence for 1896, our last session. The first columns 
compare our eight districts, and show that, while the 

(i) 



% THE COUNCIL MEETING. 

Paris District has more members than any other, and 
two thousand above some of them, in other interests 
it is behind every other, except the Lexington District, 
and that is a mission district. This is not caused by 
poverty among our people, but by a want of develop- 
ment — church education — on the part of members 
and officials. The other columns show what each pas- 
toral charge in the Paris District did last year in cer- 
tain obligations. These few items are sufficient to be 
suggestive. 

MEMPHIS CONFERENCE. 



Memphis District 

Brownsville District. 

Jackson District 

Dyersburg District... 
Union City District... 

Paducah District 

Paris District ... 

Lexington District... 



m 


"5 


=2 t? 


w 


S 


+3 


fc. to 


% 


a 


o 


•2 !s 


a 










a 


3 

01 • 


S o 


o 


o 


k £ 




fe 


















.a 






^ a 


3 

3 


1* 


■d 3 


2 .2 


fc 


fc 


Bl, 


fc 


7,410 


$17,098 92 


$2 31 


.$1,967 50 


G,673 


9,911 04 


1 49 


1,288 20 


6,0G8 


9,742 50 


1 61 


1,226 98 


7,803 


10,934 24 


1 41 


1,360 18 


8,134 


10,280 19 


1 26 


1,227 97 


8 237 


10,294 51 


1 25 


999. 68 


8.207 


8,287 29 


1 00 


624 30 


(3,863 


4.8 il 40 


70 


280 40 






.20 

•I'M 

.15 
.12 

•07% 
.04 



PARIS DISTRICT. 



Paris Station 

Henry Circuit 

McKenzie Station 

McKenzie Circuit 

Atwood Circuit 

Gleaspn and Liberty 

Manlyville Circuit 

Big Sandy Circuit 

Conyersville Circuit 

Cottage Grove Circuit.... 
~Sew Providence Circuit. 

Springville Circuit 

Harris Grove Circuit 

Murray Circuit 

Crossland Circuit 

Benton Mission 

Hico Circuit 

Briensburg Circuit 



335 


$1,665 00 


$4 97 


$135 00 


380 


416 47 


1 10 


20 00 


248 


800 00 


3 22 


120 00 


601 


520 07 


86 


29 00 


422 


319 39 


75 


15 00 


257 


333 99 


1 30 


50 00 


502 


403 88 


67 


22 15 


532 


223 14 


42 


10 00 


560 


375 38 


67 


25 00 


426 
681 


341 92 
339 40 


80 

50 




35 00 


298 


169 31 


57 


8 00 


472 


172 60 


36 


22 00 


503 


775 61 


1 54 


56 00 


600 


580 00 


97 


21 00 


332 


414 10 


1 25 


35 00 


652 


195 28 


30 


13 00 


396 


231 75 


58 


8 15 



.4(% 

.0514 

.48 

.05 

MV 2 

.19^ 

.03% 

.02 

.02 



.05 

.03 

.05 

.11 

.03^ 

.10 

.02 

.02 



This presentation of the district, I know, will be 
mortifying to every member with self-respect and con- 
cern for the cause of Christ ; but the facts ought to be 



PRELIMINARY AND ELSE. 6 

known, and such facts should arouse every member in 
the district, old and young, to extraordinary exertions 
for proper advancement. Let every one at once do 
the best possible, regardless of what others may or may 
not do'. Let each pay as much over his assessment as 
he can, but never less than that; and let all the offi- 
cials meet their responsibilities as leaders of the 
Church. 

A man has no right to accept any office in the 
Church and then make no effort to meet its responsi- 
bilities. Upon accepting an office, he is morally 
bound to make faithful efforts to discharge its obliga- 
tions ; and he has no right to decline the position with- 
out good reasons for doing so. Every Christian made 
a contract with God to do his bidding, and most calls 
of the Church are providential openings for service. 
If, after faithful effort, he learns that from any cause 
whatever he cannot or will not perform the duties of 
the office, he ought at the next Quarterly Conference 
to resign and let a more efficient man be put in his 
place. If an unfaithful officer will not amend or vol- 
untarily resign, the Quarterly Conference ought to 
displace him under the second question, "Are there 
any complaints ? " and, if they can, elect another who 
will care for the Church. If the Quarterly Confer- 
ence suffers the Church imposed upon by continued 
negligence of indifferent officials, they themselves be- 
come culpable. The Church suffers as much from 
neglect as from any other cause whatever. Every of- 
ficer and every Methodist family should have a copy 
of the last edition of our Discipline, and study it spe- 
cially to learn his own duties. It is great folly for 
any man to assume, upon his election, that he under- 
stands all the work incident to his office, civil or eccle- 
siastical. He should study his work, magnify his of- 
fice, whatever it be, and extend his usefulness. Every 



4 THE COUNCIL MEETING. 

member is as certainly obligated to perform certain 
duties as any minister is bound to preach the gospel. 
An official should attend his Quarterly Meetings, un- 
less unavoidably prevented. Some superintendents, 
trustees, secretaries of Church Conferences, and even 
stewards, seldom attend their Quarterly Conference; 
some never attend. This is the business meeting of 
their pastoral charge ; and they should be there to as- 
sume their own part of the Church work, help plan for 
its interests, encourage others by their counsel and 
presence, instead of discouraging them by their ab- 
sence; learn all they can, catch enthusiasm needed, 
and help impart the same to others. 

Brother Henry PafTord, of Big Sandy Circuit, has 
attended, on his own circuit, one hundred and fifty- 
six Quarterly Conferences in succession. Brother M. 
B. Towery, local preacher, of Hico Circuit, has missed 
only one of his own Quarterly Conferences for thirty- 
eight years. He was really at that, but was called 
away to the bedside of a dying neighbor. Many oth- 
ers attend regularly, and never leave till the Quarterly 
Conference is adjourned, and are otherwise loyal and 
useful. Most fortunately for us, God, in his provi- 
dence, has distributed these helpful men, so that every 
charge in the district has some. There are encourag- 
ing signs of improvement; and if all concerned will 
adopt and practice the principles suggested in this par- 
agraph, they will enjoy a most desirable revolution 
within twelve months. Some of the official boards 
have already begun to put these suggestions into prac- 
tice. 

The Council Meetings are held with the special pur- 
pose of acquainting our leaders and other members 
with the duties and prerogatives of the Quarterly Con- 
ference officials and to induce needed enthusiasm. 
The preacher in charge invites one or two neighboring 



PRELIMINARY AND ELSE. 5 

pastors, and appoints several of his most efficient lead- 
ers to first study, then in the " meeting " discuss, these 
subjects. For this work we have an hour or more be- 
fore preaching, then some time following dinner, and 
before Quarterly Conference. These Council Meet- 
ings are held during our " third round." When prop- 
erly announced and emphasized and provided for, 
they have proved most interesting, instructive, and 
stimulating, and they were well attended; yet a num- 
ber of our officers were never present. Such failure 
is to be deplored, but it should not discourage those 
who are concerned. 

These meetings suggested the character and title of 
this pamphlet. The same obligations of attendance 
obtain in reference to District Conference. Any man 
accepting election as delegate to District Conference 
should attend its session if possible, and should remain 
there till final adjournment. If some men were as in- 
different to other public interests as they are to respon- 
sibilities the Church has placed upon them, they would 
never be honored a second time by the suffrage of an 
intelligent and thoughtful people. 

Our District Conference in 1895, in Paris, was 
quite a success; that in Benton, in 1896, was far bet- 
ter; that in Maury, this year, was better still. One 
hundred and ten members of the Conference were 
present. Enthusiastic interest was sustained to the 
close. Everything done was edifying, even the dis- 
closure of defects and neglect of work; yet a number 
of our delegates were absent. We will try to do bet- 
ter next year, if we all be here. 

I lovo thy Church, God! 

For her my tears shall fall, 

For her my prayers ascend ; 
To her my cares and toils be given, 

Till toils and cares shall end. 



CHAPTEE II. 

Who Shapes Circuits and Appoints Pastors? 

The Discipline, in Paragraphs 105 and 106, answers 
the question, "What are the duties of a bishop?" " To 
see that the districts be formed according to his judg- 
ment; ... to divide a circuit, station, or mis- 
sion into two or more when he judges it necessary." 
The only right in shaping charges the Discipline pro- 
vides for any layman is expressed in Paragraph 190, 
where, in giving the duties of stewards, it says: " To 
give advice, if asked, in planning the circuit." Any 
number of laymen cannot alter the arrangement. Do 
you think that is putting too much power in the ap- 
pointing authorities, the bishops (the presiding elders, 
by usage, being his counselors) ? What do you think 
of Paragraph 321? — "The salary and traveling ex- 
penses of preachers on circuits and stations shall be es- 
timated by their respective boards of stewards, after 
consultation with the preacher in charge." Thus 
cessions of rights are made by laymen and by preach- 
ers, each having confidence in the integrity of the oth- 
er; and they make the sacrifice for the cause of God, 
not considering selfish ends, which control all commer- 
cial interests. The uppermost purpose is to glorify 
God and save souls. ISTo circuit is ever planned with- 
out careful inquiry and consideration first on the part 
of those intrusted with such work. The wishes of any 
member will be heard and considered, and the judg- 
ment of the wisest is generally sought. Even then the 
best arrangement may not, at first, -be made. In such 
case patience and confidence and fidelity and sweetness 
of temper should be practiced till those in authority 
(6) 



CIRCUITS AND PASTORS. ( 

may have time to accomplish the most desirable plans. 
Sometimes the interests of several neighboring circuits 
must be considered. Rebellion on the part of any 
who may be displeased should never be thought of. 
They have a right to withdraw from the Church when 
they are displeased, provided their life has been con- 
sistent, but no right to rebel in the Church and cause 
discord among our people. The Discipline clearly 
provides for the treatment of members for " inveigh- 
ing against either our doctrines or discipline. 7 ' (See 
Paragraph 297.) To take vengeance on the appoint- 
ing authorities or their counselors, the presiding eld- 
ers, is wicked, and must be repented of before the 
crossing of the last river. 

Sometimes disaffection among a people is caused by 
the appointment of a certain preacher to them. A 
preacher, under our system, would be unfortunate in- 
deed if his reception on a charge depended on his pleas- 
ing every one and if a few should be allowed to reject 
him. "It is estimated that only about seventy-five 
per cent of the members of a Methodist charge, and so 
in other denominations, are fully suited to the pastor 
and he to them." If the chronic grumblers be al- 
lowed the reins, a preacher could never feel secure. 

A fundamental principle of our system is that, in 
joining the itinerancy, a preacher, for the cause of 
God, consents for the bishop (and presiding elders, 
really) to make his appointments, and waives the priv- 
ilege of selecting or rejecting his pastoral charge; and 
the people, in joining our Church, consent, for the 
cause of God, that the same authorities shall appoint 
to them preachers ; and they waive the claims of select- 
ing or rejecting their pastors. If they rebel against 
any preacher whomsoever authoritatively sent them, 
they violate their solemn vows of Church membership 
to " be subject to the Discipline of the Church," and 



8 THE COUNCIL MEETING. 

do that which, if allowed, would soon ruin our itiner- 
ancy and seriously damage, if not destroy, our Church 
government. When members are unwilling to sub- 
mit to our government, as our preachers do, they 
should at once withdraw from the Church. They 
need not hope, however, to find in any other Christian 
denomination a government equal to ours in ministe- 
rial supply and spread of the gospel. Our system, 
however, as others, is subject to abuse; and, with that, 
hurt to ali concerned is the result. The wishes of our 
preachers and people in this matter are carefully con- 
sidered and accommodated by the appointing author- 
ities, as far as may be best; but they cannot gratify the 
wishes or meet the interests of any charge or any 
preacher to the neglect of others. 

Our Discipline provides for necessary changes 
among the preachers to be made during the year, but 
they must be made by a bishop or presiding elder. 
This provision for change was not intended to gratify 
the whims of a few fault-finding men who care noth- 
ing for crushing the feelings, violating the rights, and^ 
injuring a preacher's good name, which may be all he 
has in this world. 

The majority of our people are habitually fond of 
their preachers, and do not unkindly criticise them. 
One good lady (Sister Dycus, of Palma, Ky.) said : 
" Brother Wilson, if I cannot say anything good of 
our pastor, I never say anything bad. !No one, not 
even my husband or children, ever heard me say aught 
against any pastor we ever had." Her husband re- 
marked: " That is true." 

We have many men and women who get help from 
every sermon, and never look for errors; who see and 
admire all the noble traits of their worthy pastors, but 
never search for faults; and who always furnish their 
financial and moral support without a murmur. One 



CIRCUITS AND PASTORS. 9 

brother, in Quarterly Conference, said to me: "I 
stick to my pastor when he is in the right and when he 
is in the wrong — all the time. When he is wrong, 
like a brother, I try to help him get right. I never 
desert him." The editor of the Christian Standard 
wrote : " We overheard a young woman say not long 
ago, ' I do not remember ever to have heard in my 
father's home one disrespectful or unkind word con- 
cerning a minister.' She paid to her parents a very 
high compliment, and described a condition of things 
which should find a counterpart in every Christian 
home in the land." Zion?s Herald gave the follow- 
ing incident: U A group of Church people were one 
evening discussing the merits of a former pastor, the 
weight of criticism being on the unfavorable side. At 
last one of the number remarked, ' Well, I don't think 
he was much of a preacher, anyway; I never could get 
interested in his sermons,' and, appealing to an aged 
official brother who was present, and from whom she 
expected a sympathetic answer, was immediately si- 
lenced by his reply, as follows : t Well, Sister , 

the poorest preacher that I ever heard could preach so 
much better than I could live that I never feel like 
criticising a minister.' " 

"A preacher may not be all that he ought to be; 
but when a member tries to undermine his reputation, 
or in any way lessen the estimate the people have of 
him, or in any other way to impede his work in order to 
get rid of him, he proves his unworthiness to a place in 
the membership of the Church. When a man does 
this and the Church silently ignores his conduct, it 
becomes a partaker in the work of breaking down the 
minister." 

Some charges have a few cold-hearted, rule-or-ruin, 
fault-finding sort of men, wljo will, even upon most 
trivial grounds, dislike their pastor and develop a sen- 



10 THE COUNCIL MEETING. 

timent against him, while he may be doing the very 
best work for his charge. They form a little band, 
who think, at the end of the year, a change in pastors 
is needed. These are joined by a few whose sins the 
pastor rightly rebuked; sometimes by a few who think, 
because he offended one or two, he has ruined himself; 
or by a few who think a preacher ought never to stay 
in the same charge longer than one or two years; or 
by a few who never like to hear the same preacher 
longer than one year. They are not capable of loving 
a preacher. (Their poor children must grow up on 
the food such parents furnish.) So a change of 
preachers is urged. They never seem to think or 
care that they may be violating the wishes of their own 
people and imposing upon them an unsavory reputa- 
tion and perpetrating a great wrong upon their pastor, 
who, possibly, has done all of his work faithfully. In 
their blind effort to accomplish their unreasonable de- 
sires they seem never to have heard of the Golden 
Rule. Every year some such men even go to Confer- 
ence, and there talk to the irreparable and grievous 
hurt of their faithful pastor, and seek his- removal, 
when the great body of their people want his return, 
and, in some cases, are not expecting any change. 
"Cfuel," you say? It would take several adjectives 
to express the sinfulness of such a sin. Besides, no 
unkind or unfaithful member should be recognized 
in complaints against his pastor, whether at home or at 
Conference. Honorable officials ought to protect the 
reputation of their charge and their preacher's good 
name and interests, and never allow such unfair and 
damaging representation anywhere. I recommend 
the course of one of our most useful men of Martin, 
Tenn. He usually wants his preacher returned; but 
when he thinks a change necessary, he does not talk 
promiscuously about it; and he never offers this opin- 



CIKCUITS AND PASTORS. 11 

ion unless it is of such importance that he can face his 
pastor with it. Officials ought always to discourage 
complaints among our people, and never themselves 
ask for a change of preachers without kindly present- 
ing the matter to the pastor and presiding elder. Then 
speak of it nowhere else. This course would be with 
candor and honesty, and would secure the best and 
most pleasing results. Sometimes a preacher's honor, 
refinement, self-respect, forbid his making any defense, 
even when most sinned against. This fact, with oth- 
er interests involved, should cause every conscientious 
layman to deal most tenderly with his preacher's 
good name, and with most loving consideration of the 
interests and feelings of the wife and children of the 
self-sacrificing itinerant. Sometimes a preacher does 
make mistakes. The Discipline directs the stewards 
in such cases to -'■ tell the preachers wmat they think 
wrong in them." Then, without making a mountain 
out of a molehill, but by wisely giving a little brother- 
ly counsel, stewards might prove most helpful. The 
usefulness of a preacher should increase to the end of 
his fourth year with a people. Changes come often 
enough under necessity. Our system easily provides 
for exigencies ; but let no one, because of the ready ef- 
ficiency of our provision, precipitate an emergency. 

2 



CHAPTER III. 

Trustees. 

Discipline (page 91) : " How are the trustees to be 
appointed? Ans. 1. Except where the laws of the 
state or territory provide differently, the preacher in 
charge, or, in his absence, the presiding elder, shall 
have the right of nomination, subject to the confirma- 
tion or rejection of the Quarterly Conference. 77 Par- 
agraph 200: " Trustees of our parsonages, churches, 
schools, colleges, and universities must be at least 
twenty-one years of age, and must all be members of 
our Church when proper persons can be had; other- 
wise one-third of each board may be elected from 
without. 77 It is their duty to organize, electing " their 
own chairman, secretary, and treasurer. 77 (See Par- 
agraph 202.) They are " responsible to the Quarter- 
ly Conference, . . . which shall have power to 
dismiss any of them from office ; and they shall be re- 
quired to present a report of their acts, at least once a 
year, to the Quarterly Conference. 77 (See Para- 
graph 203.) 

It is the duty of the trustees to protect and other- 
wise care for the church property intrusted to them. 
They should see that the purposes of dedication of our 
churches are observed. (See Discipline, entire page 
233.) In the service of dedication the officers of the 
church address the minister thus : " We present you 
this house, to be set apart from all unhallowed or com- 
mon uses, for the worship of Almighty God. 77 The 
minister says : " We solemnly dedicate it to his serv- 
ice for the reading and expounding of his holy word, 
the administration of his ordinances, and for all other 
acts of religious worship. 77 In the prayer the minis- 
(12) 



TRUSTEES. 13 

ter petitions Gocl: " Preserve this house, which we 
set apart to thy service, from injury and desecration." 
In some instances trustees allow political gatherings, 
etc., in the church. Some allow schools taught in the 
church, instead of encouraging their people to build 
a schoolhouse. (Discipline, Par. 544.) This protec- 
tion of our churches comes from a spirit of reverence 
for God's house, such as the Bible teaches. All " un- 
hallowed or common uses " of the church develop in 
our children and people irreverence for the worship of 
God. Such damaging effect no community can afford 
to permit. 

In making their written report to the Quarterly 
Conference, the trustees should give proper answers to 
the "following questions: (1) What is the number 
of churches and parsonages, and what has been ex- 
pended on the same during the year? (2) What is 
the value of the same? (3) Do the deeds contain the 
trust clauses in the Discipline? (4) Where are the 
title papers kept? (5) Where are they recorded? 
(Give office, book, and page.)" (Discipline, Par. 87, 
Ques. 24.) See Par. 420, to which trustees' report 
refers: " In ail conveyances of ground for the build- 
ing of houses of worship, or upon which they may have 
been already built, let the following clause be inserted 
at the proper place : ' In trust, that said premises shall 
be used, kept, maintained, and disposed of as a place 
of divine worship for the use of the ministry and mem- 
bership of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, 
subject to the discipline, usage, and ministerial ap- 
pointments of said Church, as from time to time au- 
thorized and declared by the General Conference of 
said Church, and the Annual Conference within 
whose bounds the said premises are situate.' " Par. 
421 gives the same direction for securing to the 
Church its parsonage property. 



14 THE COUNCIL MEETING. 

Every board of trustees, where it has not been done, 
should see at once that the deed to their church prop- 
erty is correct, and that it is recorded, then make to 
their Quarterly Conference a carefully prepared re- 
port, clear, short, without needless statements, yet 
comprehensive. The chairman of a board of trustees 
once made to his Quarterly Conference, without even 
consultation with the other trustees, the following re- 
port: " One church Frame bilding 40x60 feet with 
some 10 winders and 2 dores funished with pulpit and 

benches valued at $ -. A parsonage on neiboring 

lot with some four rooms finished off with a front 
porch and a well with a brick walk running west to 

the front gate valued at $ . This is report of 

church property as skeduled by ." For good 

reasons, in giving this to the public, I leave blank 
where names and valuation of property occur. The 
report gives only two items the Discipline calls for, 
and it has some striking peculiarities ; yet it shows an 
honest effort, and that is far better than no report. 

Our General Board of Church Extension will not 
aid a congregation in building a church unless the lot 
upon which they purpose erecting the house be uncon- 
ditionally transferred, by proper deed, to the Meth- 
odist Episcopal Church, South. If that be a wise rule 
for the protection of the funds of that board, it would 
be a wise rule for the protection of other money con- 
tributed by our people for building churches, and a se- 
curity against many probable annoyances and possible 
disruptions. The land should be unconditionally do- 
nated, or it should be purchased, or not accepted. 

The broad and commendable spirit of charity 
among Methodists caused a great looseness in the man- 
agement of our churches. Some of our trustees, 
without consulting their pastor, would let into the 
church strangers to preach who in many cases had 



TEUSTEES. 15 

no authority, and who were wicked; impostors, and 
claimed to be independent preachers, and who, once 
in, wonld deny our doctrines, deride our government 
and usages, abuse our men in authority, disparage our 
ministry, and discourage their support, divide our peo- 
ple, and otherwise seriously damage our cause. The 
people generally should not countenance any preacher 
who will not give satisfactory evidence of a good Chris- 
tian and ministerial character. This is an age of fa- 
naticism and impostors. Our preachers should study, 
and instruct our people in truth and expose all error, 
discuss living issues. Our people should steadily ad- 
here to their own Church and preachers who come 
" well recommended." For greater protection our 
last General Conference enacted a new law. Disci- 
pline, Par. 120: " What are the duties of a preacher 
who has the charge of a circuit, station, or mission? 
Ans. 1. To preach the gospel, and, in the absence of 
the presiding elder or bishop, to control the appoint- 
ment of all services to be held in the churches in his 
charge." Some, without a knowledge of the needs, 
think that this law gives too much authority to the pas- 
tor; that the trustees, who helped to build the church 
and who help pay the preacher, ought to have a right 
to say who should preach in their pulpit. By that 
rule, why not let the people select their preacher? Our 
itinerancy could not be operated by congregational 
rules. In that, in the ordinary appointments, our 
preachers would have to suffer all the evils of the con- 
gregational system, and could enjoy none of its ad- 
vantages. This they would not long submit to. The 
object of this law was not to give more authority to 
the itinerant preacher who is pastor, but to insure bet- 
ter protection to our people, and also protection to our 
pastors while they are laboring for us, as any employer 
must defend his employee. A further principle un- 



16 THE COUNCIL MEETING. 

deriving tins law is: When a people build a house of 
worship, and want the benefit of our Church govern- 
ment and the preaching of our ministry, to get these 
advantages they must enter a contract with our 
Church. They, on their part, must deed the property 
(and it should be untrammeled) to the Methodist Epis- 
copal Church, South, and write in the deed certain 
specifications; and it is to be subject to the government 
of said Church. The Church, on its part, agrees to 
protect the property and give the people the benefit of 
our government and ministry. Trustees are elected to 
act for the Church in caring for the property; yet it is 
all for the practical benefit of the people who built the 
house and for their successors, any who may become 
members there, and the entire Methodist Episcopal 
Church, South, whose property it is. Every other 
Christian denomination observes the same principles. 
Some men have such loose ideas of government that 
they think, as trustees, they have personal ownership 
in the house and land, and can displace or reject the 
pastor authoritatively sent them (putting themselves 
above the Conference, authorities, and laws), and can 
even lock the church doors against him, and let any 
other man preach in their house of worship as they 
may see fit. Such men ought never to be trusted with 
any office in the Church. They will rend our congre- 
gations, and antagonize our faithful preachers, and in- 
veigh against our government, when matters chance 
to contradict their wishes. Let all of our trustees 
study their official work and obligations, magnify their 
office, be faithful to God and loyal to the Church, as 
some of our men already are. 



CHAPTER IV. 

Office, License, and Duties of Local Peeachebs. 

The Church cannot afford to put its seal and in- 
dorsement upon any man as minister of the gospel sim- 
ply upon his claim of a divine call to the sacred office, 
and his request for so important a privilege. The 
Church must have other evidences that he is " moved 
by the Holy Ghost to preach." 

Discipline, Paragraph 95: "Let the following ques- 
tions he asked — namely, 

" 1. Do they know God as a pardoning God? 
Have they the love of God abiding in them? Do 
they desire nothing hut God? And are they holy in 
all manner of conversation? 

" 2. Have they gifts (as well as grace) for the 
work? Have they (in some tolerable degree) a clear, 
sound understanding, a right judgment in the things 
of God, a just conception of salvation by faith? Do 
they speak justly, readily, clearly '( 

"3. Have they fruit? Are any truly convinced 
of sin and converted to God hy their preaching ? 

"As long as these three marks concur in any one, 
we believe he is called of God to preach." 

Discipline, Paragraph 165: "The District Confer- 
ence shall have authority to license proper persons to 
preach and to renew their licenses annually, when, in 
its judgment, their gifts, grace, and usefulness will 
warrant it." 

Paragraph 16 G: "No person shall he licensed to 
preach without the recommendation of the Quarterly 
Conference of the charge to which he belongs; nor 
shall any one he licensed to preach without first pass- 
ing, before a committee of three, to be appointed hy 
the presiding elder, an approved examination on the 



18 THE COUNCIL MEETING. 

subject of doctrines and discipline, and giving satis- 
factory evidence of his knowledge of the ordinary 
branches of an English education." 

For many years, as one of the restrictions in licens- 
ing men to preach, the following appeared in the Dis- 
cipline: " IN or shall any one be licensed to preach . . . 
without first being examined, in the Quarterly Con- 
ference, on the subject of doctrines and discipline." 
In 1870 an addition was made to this requirement — 
viz.. " and giving satisfactory evidence of his knowl- 
edge of the ordinary branches of an English education." 

For a local preacher to be eligible to the office of a 
deacon, among other requirements, he must pass an 
approved " examination on the course of study pre- 
scribed by the bishops as a preparation for deacon's or- 
ders." (See Paragraphs 167, 534.) 

For a local deacon to be eligible to the office of an 
elder, among other requirements, he must pass an ap- 
proved " examination on the course of study pre- 
scribed by the bishops as a preparation for elder's or- 
ders." (See Paragraphs 168, 535.) 

Now when we have such improved educational fa- 
cilities, and our people are greatly advancing in intel- 
lectual culture, it is necessary for our preachers, local 
and itinerant, to enjoy at least the advantages of the 
free-school course. An ignorant man cannot be a 
wise instructor or a judicious leader, and there are 
many other emergencies incident to his official position 
that he cannot meet. 

As an addition to Paragraph 166, we need the fol- 
lowing: " ~No member of the Church shall be at lib- 
erty to preach without such a license." (See Disci- 
pline of the M. E. Church, Paragraph 197.) 

By our omission of this specific law, any member 
of our Church can assume to be a Methodist preacher 
without distinctly announcing the claim, and thus get 



LOCAL PEEACHEES. 19 

the moral, and often the financial, support of the 
Methodists, when he may not deserve indorsement or 
recognition of any Church; and we have no means of 
protection by law. The Church, considering public 
estimation, could well afford for some laymen to 
preach without special license, but not for others; yet 
there could be no distinction. A rule must apply to 
all alike. This is really the purport of " license," but 
we allow the lack of specific law abused. We need 
this regulation to help us form and maintain proper 
ideas of the importance and sacredness of the Christian 
ministry and of the Church which allows the license. 
It is erroneous also to believe that any man, however 
honorable and righteous, can accomplish more good 
by being known as an unlicensed preacher. The fail- 
ure of any man is not due to his having license, but to 
something else; while his true success should be 
greatly encouraged by having license. ■ Rev. R,. Ab- 
bey wrote : " In what relation does a man stand to the 
Church or the world, attempting to minister the gos- 
pel, who is not personally designated and sent? In 
proportion as he is intelligent he can but regard him- 
self as an interpolator upon the gospel and an intruder 
in the sanctuary of the Most High." 

Paragraph 169: "It shall be the duty of local 
preachers to aid the preacher in charge of the circuit, 
station, or mission to which they belong in supplying 
the people with the ministry of the word. They shall 
accordingly be applied to by the preacher in charge, 
as soon as he enters on his work, to state what amount 
of service they are able and willing to perform. He 
may then draw up a plan by which their labors shall be 
regulated; and they shall be authorized to form new 
congregations, to take a list of the names of all candi- 
dates for Church membership, and, if expedient, re- 
ceive them into the Church; provided, that all such 



20 THE COUNCIL MEETING. 

congregations, candidates, and members be reported, 
as soon as possible, to the preacher in charge, in order 
that they may be placed immediately under his pas- 
toral care ; and they shall report in writing the extent 
and result of their labors to the fourth Quarterly Con- 
ference." 

The Discipline, pages 77-8 1, gives other important 
directions concerning local preachers; but we have 
quoted those parts that specially touch the object of 
this writing. 

It is a design of the lav/ to so arrange the work, 
" wherever it is practicable, as to give the local preach- 
ers regular and systematic employment on the Sab- 
bath." Sometimes our pastors are embarrassed in the 
execution of this provision by the inefficiency and un- 
acceptability of a local preacher, yet let us attend to 
this duty as far as we can. Many of our local preach- 
ers are most acceptable and useful men. Local preach- 
ers, through the history of our Church, have held an 
honorable position among us, and have been exceed- 
ingly useful. We will continue to need them as long 
as our ecclesiastical and social conditions remain as 
they now are. The local preachers are our reserve 
forces for ministerial supply. Besides, they are de- 
signed to aid our regular ministry in any " service they 
are able and willing to perform." This recognizes 
their reserved right to remain at their own home and 
engage in secular employment for support; hence no 
provision is made for financial remuneration of local 
preachers for ministerial work. These reserved rights 
are surrendered by our preachers on joining Confer- 
ence, and in this service of sacrifice they must be pro- 
tected and supported before any others. All employ- 
ers must protect and support their employees, or their 
enterprises will fail, and they will suffer merited dis- 
grace. If our people withhold moral and financial 



LOCAL PP.EACHEES. 21 

support from the very men y\ t 1io sacrifice most and do 
most for us and give their support to others, they, that 
far, become an unfaithful and ungrateful people, and 
help to dishonor and enfeeble our beloved Church, to 
which they solemnly promised fidelity of heart and 
life. If local preachers, from any cause, should be 
engaged to supply a pastoral charge, they will get pas- 
tor's wages. If they do special service in other ways, 
it is right for the people favored to make proper re- 
turn; but this should never be allowed by our people to 
affect in the least the support of their regular ministry. 
Faithful and loyal local preachers will never knowing- 
ly accept any remuneration unjustly turned to them 
from pastors in charge. Such proceedings would be 
undermining our itinerancy, upon which our success 
depends. Neither will an honorable, conscientious lo- 
cal preacher, by his labors or by disparaging remarks 
or insinuations, hinder the acceptability and success 
of the appointed pastor. 

We require our regular preachers to superintend 
the preaching to our people ; yet some local preachers 
claim the right to preach where, when, and how they 
please. Other local preachers antagonize the shep- 
herds of the flocks, and contemn rules to which all our 
regular preachers must submit; yet they get the sup- 
port of Methodist influence by being Methodist preach- 
ers, thereby forcing our Church to be largely responsi- 
ble to the public for their conduct as individuals, for 
their strange doctrines, objectionable methods, and 
harmful eccentricities. They may count many con- 
verts, get handsome remuneration (often part of the 
pastor's salary), embarrass other Church enterprises, 
then leave the pastor to mollify irritations, restore the 
disaffected, pacify the contentious, and harmonize all 
other discords the best he can. Some of their claims 
are deceptive — e. g., they claim the right to preach 



22 THE COUNCIL MEETING. 

where, when, and as they wish ; that they are called to 
preach, and that they must obey their call, and save as 
many sinners as possible; that they are impressed by 
the Holy Spirit to go to certain places and do certain 
work. A man with such liberty might effect more 
conversions than if he submitted to the regulations of 
the Church; but when the undeniable modifiers* of 
such claims are considered, the delusion is clear. He, 
as an individual, outside of the Church, may urge such 
claims (he and his God for that); but he has no right 
to remain in the Church and claim exemption from 
wise rules that bind others. Y\ r e cannot allow privi- 
leged classes. In such claims a man erects his own 
impression as sole arbiter, and assumes that no one else 
should have an impression to resist the arbiter. If 
any one should dare to resist, lie is wicked and fighting 
against God. In such claims a man also denies that 
the Church has right to obstruct the execution of his 
wishes. He may antagonize the regular ministry, 
abuse the " authorities," deride Church government, 
scorn " Churchianity," disrupt the Church, and so do 
far more harm than good; irreparable damage — all 
this in the Church, just where the devil wants it; but 
the Church must not interfere. Such men disregard 
their solemn vows to " support the institutions of the 
Church"; they are mad, and they should be controlled. 
JSFo great work, as that of our Church, can be accom- 
plished without organization; and there can be no or- 
ganization without government, and there can be no 
government without laws. These laws should bo 
obeyed, and they should be executed. "We need union 
of heart and hand. 

"We protest against discord and disintegration any- 
where and from any source. Rev. R. "W. Hood re- 
cently wrote : "An alliance of forces is an absolute ne- 
cessitv to the success of our cause. ISTo man can be re- 



LOCAL PREACHERS. 23 

lied on for good who is too large to subject himself to 
the powers that be." 

These irregularities, with fanatical ideas, were so 
encouraging looseness and disorganization that the 
last General Conference found it necessary to protect, 
in some way, our regular preachers in doing the work 
we required of them, and protect our people as well, 
and defend our Church government. The Confer- 
ence gave us some relief in a specific law, found in 
Paragraph 120 of the Discipline, in giving the duties 
of preachers in charge : " To preach the gospel, and, 
in the absence of the presiding elder or bishop, to con- 
trol the appointment of all services to be held in the 
churches in his charge." I fully appreciate the ne- 
cessity of this law; for its principal occasion seemed to 
have been in my own charge, in Fulton, Ky., in 1893, 
when, upon the unauthorized invitation of two of our 
members there, a disorganizing evangelist, claiming to 
be a Methodist local preacher, came, and, over the 
protest of myself and the entire official board, except 
one of his inviters, held a series* of meetings. This 
conduct was exposed. Our Annual Conference sent 
to our next General Conference a memorial, which 
was modified into the law we now have in Paragraph 
120. I yet prefer the memorial, though it was not in 
the best shape ; but we have some relief. The purpose 
of this law is not to require faithful local preachers to 
get the consent of a pastor every time they preach in 
one of his churches, but to protect our people and pas- 
tors against imposition by placing the authority with 
him who is held responsible for the spiritual instruction 
of the people he is appointed to serve. "No local preach- 
er who appreciates his honor and his vows and his 
Church will attempt a violation of this necessary law. 

Some local preachers among the people may dispar- 
age our regular preachers, depreciate their work, and 



24 THE COUNCIL MEETING. 

reduce their support by telling that they themselves 
are discarded and persecuted by the pastors (which is 
only in the imagination, of course), and by offering to 
preach for much less money than the pastor gets, and 
suggesting that too much authority is given the pastor, 
find by making other complaints. Many people be- 
come disaffected by such, talk, and they never note that 
the local preacher would supplement a small salary by 
an income from other employments which he has nev- 
er left to serve the Church ; while the itinerant preach- 
er has sacrificed all for the Church, and depends, may- 
be, solely upon his ministry for support. Besides, 
they should know that any pastoral charge, to be 
healthy and strong and to develop in God's service, 
must sustain a continuous liberality in the support of 
the Church. Hence, if a local preacher should be ap- 
pointed to serve a charge as pastor, he should, for tho 
good of the charge and in justice to himself, receive a 
pastor's wages. "No people could depend for a long- 
time upon securing the service of a local preacher, so 
they must keep in touch and in sympathy with our 
itinerancy. They should give no countenance to a 
disloyal local preacher, or any other disorganizer, and 
they should be alert to discover such. 

Our laws are made for the good of all and the hurt 
of none ; and, instead of open or stealthy antagonism 
to our system, we need cheerful and hearty coopera- 
tion on the part of all concerned. In all my charges 
I have had only one local preacher, whose pastor I was, 
to treat me or the members unkindly or unfaithfully. 
The majority of those with whom I have been associ- 
ated were good and true and useful men in the local 
ministry. A few of them are even now, as they ought 
to be, popular as preachers and men among the people 
with whom they have lived and labored for twenty or 
thirty years. Let all do as well. 



CIIAPTEK V. 

Stewards. 

"It is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful." 
(1 Cor. iv. 2.) 

Discipline, Paragraph 189: " Let the stewards be 
men of solid piety, who both know and love the Meth- 
odist doctrine and discipline, and of good natural and 
acquired abilities to transact the temporal business of 
the Church." This describes the character of men 
suitable for stewards. They should be men of piety, 
and of solid piety, with no flaws. Then their honesty 
and religious influence (so much as they may have) 
can be trusted. Also we cannot afford to put into such 
a responsible office men who are ignorant of or not in 
sympathy with our doctrine and discipline. Such 
men in such position would likely be great hindrances, 
if they should do us no other hurt. We would be 
equally hindered by having in this position men inca- 
pable of discharging its duties. We should never put 
men in the oflice to develop them in any particular. 
Select, if possible, men, young or old, who already ex- 
hibit the qualities prescribed by the Discipline. If 
the desired number of this kind cannot be had, it 
would be well to elect to the oflice only a few, and let 
them be aided, if necessary, in the execution of their 
work by some efficient women. 

Paragraph 190: "It shall be the duty of the stew- 
ards to organize by electing a chairman, secretary, 
and treasurer; to make estimates of expenses and pro- 
vision for the support of the gospel; to take an exact 
account of all the money or other provision collected 
for the support of the ministry; to make an accurate 

(25) 



26 THE COUNCIL MEETING. 

return of every expenditure of money, whether for the 
support of the ministry or the relief of the sick or the 
poor; to seek the needy and distressed in order to re- 
lieve and comfort them ; to inform the preachers of any 
sick or disorderly persons; to tell the preachers what 
they think wrong in them; to attend the official meet- 
ings and the quarterly meetings; to give advice, if 
asked, in planning the circuit; to attend committees 
for the application of money to churches ; to give coun- 
sel in matters of arbitration; to provide elements for 
the Lord's Supper ; to appoint some one, whenever nec- 
essary, to receive contributions for the support of the 
ministry and other purposes, and to obtain from each 
collector thus appointed the money received by him, 
that it may be reported to the Quarterly Conference ; 
to take up collections quarterly in every congregation, 
if it be necessary, and to write circular letters to the so- 
cieties to be more liberal, if need be, as also to let them 
know, when occasion requires, the financial state of the 
Church, as reported at the Quarterly Conference." 

The opinion largely prevails that the work of the 
stewards is limited to supervision of the financial sup- 
port of the preachers; but, according to this quotation 
from the Discipline, their sphere is quite comprehen- 
sive. The new board should organize at the time and 
place of their election, or as soon thereafter as they can 
conveniently do so. They ought to hold regular meet- 
ings for circuit or station; to divide, review, correct, 
and, in every way possible, advance their work. An- 
other work here mentioned is more particularly de- 
scribed in Paragraph 821: " The salary and traveling 
expenses of preachers on circuits and stations shall be 
estimated by their respective boards of stewards, after 
consultation with the preacher in charge." Every 
board of stewards, with right disposition, will obey this 
law, and consult their pastor first about his needs for 



STEWARDS. 27 

comfortable support, and learn what lie thinks would 
be right for his salary, and tell him what their people, 
as they honestly believe, would be able to pay him, 
then estimate his salary at as large a sum as they can 
reasonably hope to influence their people to pay. 
While they appear to have absolute authority by the 
law to fix the pastor's salary as they ultimately please, 
they really have no legal or moral right in estimating 
the preacher's salary to stint him and shirk responsi- 
bilities for their people. The law contemplates the 
stewards acting with great concern and integrity for 
pastor and people, with as much interest in one as in 
the other. It is best for both parties that the people 
pay all they reasonably can. 

Paragraph 322: ". . . . Unless otherwise or- 
dered by the Church Conference, the stewards shall 
adopt the plan of assessment with consent, as provided 
in the following paragraph (323): . . . The 
stewards of each station or circuit shall determine 
whether payments are to be made weekly, monthly, 
or quarterly during the year. They shall then ascer- 
tain how much each member is able and willing to pay 
in the installments fixed by the stewards. . . ." 
These duties of stewards measure extraordinary trusts 
and responsibilities. Do you wonder that the Disci- 
pline puts such emphasis upon having suitable men 
in this office ? They are also " to seek the needy and 
the distressed," to administer to them; to keep well 
acquainted with the general condition and conduct of 
the membership, and give the pastor all needed infor- 
mation. If the pastor makes mistakes of any conse- 
quence, they are not to rehearse these errors to every 
willing listener, and thus curtail the pastor's influence, 
and that far damage the Church, but go directly to 
him as soon as need be, and give him kind, brotherly 
counsel. Thus, instead of increasing disaffection, 



28 THE COUNCIL MEETING. 

they can easily help to make the preacher a wiser and 
more useful man, and add to the concord and prosper- 
ity of the Church. Of eourse they ought to attend 
regularly their board and quarterly meetings. They 
should let no ordinary interests prevent their faithful 
attention to these sacred trusts, with which, in the 
providence of God, they have been honored. Then 
it is their duty to provide elements for the Lord's Sup- 
per whenever this sacrament is to be administered. 
The stewards of the congregation where the Quarterly 
Conference is held ought always to have the bread and 
wine ready, whether their quarterly meeting includes 
Sunday or is held only on " a week day." There is 
hardly any excuse to justify a failure in this. We 
ought, at all proper times, thus to commemorate the 
death of our Lord, even if it cost ten times what it does 
cost, either in money to purchase the wine or time and 
effort to procure it. An omission of this sacred duty 
usually indicates a want of love for Christ, a shameful 
looseness in management, and sometimes a sinful stin- 
giness. Where the stewards may neglect this duty 
the pastors ought, if possible, to see that they attend to 
it. Stewards of each congregation should keep a sup- 
ply of pure (not sour), unf ermented grape wine. The 
bread should be fresh baked, unleavened cakes, quite 
thin and brittle. This bread can be cooked quick be- 
tween hot irons of smooth surface — " smoothing irons" 
if no better are convenient. " Thou shalt not offer 
the blood of my sacrifice with leavened bread." (Ex. 
xxiii. 18.) 

Certain traits a steward should not have; and if he 
has them, he should, by the grace of God, get rid of 
them. He should not be selfish, little, stingy, narrow. 
"A steward suggested to his pastor that it was in bad 
taste for him to buy a beefsteak, seeing that he was de- 
pendent upon the charities of his poor flock for a liv- 



STEWARDS. 29 

ing; and suggested that if he (the steward) were in his 
place he would forego the expensive luxury of coffee." 
" Let it once be understood that the steward pays but 
little himself, the effect is like the hot winds of our 
AY estern country on vegetation. He may be industri- 
ous with others, he is shorn of his strength." " Each 
member gauges his own contribution by that of the 
steward's, and failure results." A steward may be 
narrow and little in estimating his pastor's salary, then 
he is quite sure to be so in assessing his members. I 
know of two stewards who belonged to different cir- 
cuits in different districts, and who, for the most part, 
acted out the same story, as follows: The circuit had 
been reduced in number of appointments. Each ap- 
pointment could by this reduction get more of the 
time and service of the pastor. At the first stewards' 
meeting the board insisted that it was right and nec- 
essary for each congregation to pay more than they 
had done. One steward said: "No; I promised my 
people to see that their assessment should be reduced." 
They never had even approached what they ought to 
pay. " If you assess my congregation any more than 
what I name, I shall see that they do not pay it." Nei- 
ther man accomplished his demands. Both were en- 
raged; both tried to influence members not to pay 
quarterage. One rode over the country a great deal 
to accomplish his purposes. Both persisted in antag- 
onizing their pastors; one succeeded in disaffecting 
quite a number. Under " complaints " at their next 
Quarterly Conferences they were dismissed from of- 
fice, as they should have been; but theycontinued their 
" dissension," annoyed the preachers, and in one case 
increased privation and want in the preacher's family. 
Of course G-od will call them to account for these 
wrongs, yet present damage results from such sinful 
doings. The pastor and Church suffer. On one of 



00 THE COUNCIL MEETING. 

these circuits some of the stewards who advanced the 
assessment on their own congregation were contracted 
in their ideas of individual assessment. They assessed 
a prosperous farmer five dollars, when, as he after- 
wards told me, he would as readily pay ten. He 
ought to have paid the ten, notwithstanding the 
slight assessment. Some stewards will encourage 
dissatisfaction with some of the lightest assessments. 
To ask a member, unless extremely poor, to pay less 
than one dollar for the ministry for the year is educat- 
ing that member to put a light estimate upon the 
Church, the ministry, and religion. If a member can- 
not or will not pay as much as one dollar, let him as- 
sume his own responsibility in fixing what he will pay. 
Sometimes a charge enjoys revivals and large increase 
of members during the year, and there is still no im- 
provement in the preacher's salary. Frequently cir- 
cuits are enlarged in number of appointments without 
any advance in the pastor's salary. * The stewards are 
nearly always the cause of such stagnation. In their 
course they encourage the new members to value 
lightly their religion and the Church, and the old 
members to pay less than the year before, while every 
member ought to improve each year, if possible. Dr. 
Clarke said: " Ever try to exceed your former self." 

A steward should not be sour, impatient, fault-find- 
ing, gloomy, apologetic, timorous. Such a manner 
often invites refusal and courts failure; such a manner 
develops in members an idea that the support of their 
minister is a kind of charity. A faint-hearted stew- 
ard, apologizing to and for his people, coinciding with 
them in complaints of "hard times," "no money in 
the country," " assessed too much," etc., is like the ten 
dispirited men sent by Moses with Caleb and Joshua 
to spy out the land of Canaan. They reported that 
the land was most fruitful, but it was impossible to 



STEWARDS. 31 

conquer the numerous and strong people. Caleb and 
Joshua said: " Let us go up at once, and possess it; for 
we are well able to overcome it." It was easy to dis- 
courage the people, as it is now; so they would have 
stoned Caleb and Joshua had God not interfered. 
Those ten men died by the plague. Only Caleb and 
Joshua and those who were their children were al- 
io wed to enter the promised land. 

A steward should not be lazy, neglectful, indiffer- 
ent, or procrastinating. Some men would be offend- 
ed if they were not continued as stewards; then they 
must have a list of members to collect from, and they 
file the list away or lose it, and never cpllect a dollar till 
the year is nearly gone, and maybe not then. In con- 
tinuing such a man in the stewardship the Quarterly 
Conference becomes accessory to the wrong. 

Procrastination is a common and serious fault 
among stewards. I once visited the Quarterly Con- 
ference of a neighboring charge, whose pastor, with 
his family, suffered much privation. His people were 
financially strong, but lacked development. A con- 
gregation had two stewards, each worth ten or fifteen 
thousand dollars. One was present. When asked 
for' his report, he said: "Well, Brother J., our other 
steward, and I have been quite busy. Other interests 
would call him elsewhere to-day; so we decided to re- 
port that we had nothing to report." Preachers could 
never develop such people with such stewards. That 
man deserved to be expelled from the Church. 
Preachers yet dread that circuit. 

For the work of the year stewards should certainly 
begin well. The members should pay their dues reg- 
ularly (and the oftener the better), without being 
asked for it ; yet the stewards should visit every delin- 
quent member at stated times, and, if possible, secure 
a settlement of a proportional part of the assessment 



32 THE COUNCIL MEETING. 

of each one. Doubtless there are members on many 
charges who have not for five years been asked for 
quarterage. 

I am convinced that most failures on the part of the 
Church to meet her financial obligations to her minis- 
ters are induced by some imperfection, voluntary or 
otherwise, on the part of the stewards. " Like priest, 
like people/ 7 is true; like steward, like people, is equal- 
ly true. Oliver Cromwell is quoted as saying: " Not 
only strike while the iron is hot, but make it hot by 
striking." Church finances should be operated by 
this rule. 

A steward should be liberal himself, not ashamed 
for any one to know what he pays. A liberal man, 
chairman of a board of stewards, told me that he could 
never learn what two of his stewards paid to the 
Church. He doubted any payments at all. 

A steward ought to love and study his work, and 
study his members, and learn to manage them wisely. 
His heart should be burdened with a sense of his du- 
ties. He should be broad-minded, progressive, ener- 
getic, heroic, cheerful, and hopeful; wise, prompt, pa- 
tient, but persistent. He may meet with cold repulses 
and meet people disgusting with their excuses, but 
such persons most need his best efforts. He should be 
watchful, timely; ready to persuade, convince, in- 
struct. He should have ready for use verses of the 
Bible. They must surrender the Bible and their 
claims to being Christians, or give. He should re- 
mind slothful members of their vows of Church mem- 
bership " to support the institutions of the Church," 
and explain that these vows are just such as they made 
to God when, as penitents, they consecrated their lives 
to his service. They cannot get rid of these obliga- 
tions, wheresoever they may go ; and if they love God 
and his cause, they have no desire to be rid of them. 



STEWARDS. 33 

Some ignorant men persuaded some of our gullible 
members to withdraw from our Church and unite with 
them in a nonprogressive organization, where they 
would have but little to do^ and with that acknowl- 
edged purpose. There was no occasion for them to 
flee from the burden they carried in our Church. 
Then for designing men to lead them into another 
communion to do still less for Cod's cause, to suffer 
many disadvantages, and to have very few of the ad- 
vantages before enjoyed, is exceedingly unfortunate 
for the victims of such practice. In accomplishing 
disturbances of this sort, the seducers so exhibit the 
old Adam that is in them that it is strange their own 
people do not spurn them. God wants his children to 
" bear more fruit." The Bible also declares: " He 
which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly: and 
he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bounti- 
fully." These erratics teach and encourage the peo- 
ple to thus disregard God's will, deny the Bible, and 
slight their own best interests for time and eternity. 
Gur stewards, if posted as they should be, can help 
make firm our unstable members and friends, that they 
" be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried 
about with every wind of doctrine by the sleight of 
men and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait 
to deceive." 

In Quarterly Conference I asked an efficient stew- 
ard on a circuit to tell us how he succeeded so well. 
He replied, in substance : u Gur people pay quarterly. 
In sufficient time I request my members to bring me 
their quarterage by a certain day, nearly a week be- 
fore Quarterly Conference. Gn the appointed day I 
visit all my delinquent members for quarterage. Be- 
fore starting, in secret prayer I ask God to prepare 
me and my people to do our duty. Gften I pray with 
them in their homes." 



34 THE COUNCIL MEETING. 

Another successful steward said : "I will begin now 
and work till the next Quarterly Conference. I see 
every member several times. I suit my appeals to the 
disposition and conditions of each member. 7 ' 

Another one said: "I encourage my members to 
lay by, as they have opportunities, money to pay 
Church dues. So they generally have it ready. I 
also urge that every member should pay something. 
Two very poor sisters, who plow and do other such 
work for an honorable living, wanted to pay each 
twenty-five cents for the ministry, but had no money. 
I paid it for them. Within reasonable time they paid 
me." 

One of our preachers related to me an experience of 
his, in substance, as follows: " I was a local preacher 

in Circuit, with my membership at , where 

we had only thirty-five poor members, with a log 
schoolhouse to worship in. I was made steward. At 
the first Quarterly Conference I was asked what my 
congregation would pay that year for the ministry. I 
answered: c Fifty dollars.' Other stewards present 
were astonished. They urged that my members were 
poor; that they had never been assessed over fifteen 
dollars ; that they seldom paid that ; and that, with fifty 
dollars imposed upon them, they would not pay any- 
thing. I urged that they had never been taught 
light; that they were not too poor to pay fifty dollars; 
that they ought to pay it, and would do so. While I 
ought not to put too heavy burdens on my members, I 
ought not to shirk for them what was their real duty. 
After much contention, I was allowed to try the fifty 
dollars. I distributed that sum among all the mem- 
bers, including the children; so that each one had but 
little to pay. I immediately saw them, and told them 
what had occurred and what I thought. Without 
hesitation, every one promised his assessment, and to 



STEWARDS. 35 

bring me the money soon. It was all paid within six 
months." 

A northern brother moved to one of our towns and 
joined our Church. Everybody there loved the Meth- 
odist preacher; but the stewards reported one hundred 
dollars behind, and that they could do no more. The 
new man, who had been there several months, said: 
" It must be paid. One of you go with me to-day, 
and another go with me to-morrow, and we will try." 
After this effort, he called together the stewards, 
locked the door, and said: " Brethren, we lack thirty 
dollars yet, but it must be paid. I have already paid 
more than my assessment, and there is five dollars 
more. Mr. A., cover that with a five." It was done. 
He appealed to each one. Some hesitated long and 
offered many excuses; but he would accept none, and 
would contend that this obligation should be met. It- 
was accomplished. The pastor and the Church re- 
joiced together. Doubtless that northern brother's 
spirit has had much influence in the development of 
that Church and its present prosperity. 

"We need more system in our Church finances. We 
have in some districts congregations of one hundred 
and seventy-five to two hundred members who are usu- 
ally assessed from fifty to seventy-five dollars, and 
they seldom pay their assessment. In such cases, as 
a rule, their stewards do not, and maybe cannot, lead 
them right. They have no financial system. In a 
few cases the stewards do not even divide among them- 
selves the list of members for collection. A short 
time, usually about a day, before the Quarterly Con- 
ference, and often the very morning of the Quarterly 
Conference, they go out for money. Some members 
may be called upon by several stewards, prompt mem- 
bers; but one hundred and fifty or more may not be 
visited J)y any steward. Then the preacher and his 



36 THE COUNCIL MEETING. 

family suffer want, which necessarily weakens the ar- 
dor of the preacher in his work; and all those neglected 
members remain undeveloped and unuseful, and the 
cause of God languishes — all the result of the unbusi- 
nesslike methods of the leaders. 

The Discipline does not specify that our stewards 
are to hunt our people for these funds; it is expected 
that all contributors carry their money to those au- 
thorized to receive it; yet if this is not done regularly 
enough, the stewards ought, as is our custom, to visit 
those in arrears. (Read Ex. xxxvi. 1-7.) The Israel- 
ites brought contributions, " free offerings," " for the 
work of the service of the sanctuary," until, by com- 
mandment of Moses, " the people were restrained from 
bringing"; for they had more than "sufficient." 
That was thirty-four hundred years ago, yet many of 
our people now are not up with those Israelites. 

The assessment plan, and payments to be made 
weekly or monthly or quarterly, is proved to be the 
best. The more frequent the payments, the better for 
all concerned, and the more surely will obligations be 
met. Each collecting steward ought to keep a collec- 
tion book, in which should be kept, neatly and correct- 
ly written, accounts with members, preachers, and 
the treasurer, and his own Quarterly Conference re- 
ports, as suggested by the plan of Brother T. 1ST. 
Wilkes, one of the pastors of Paris District. His 
stewards' Quarterly Conference reports consisted of 
about five questions and answers, which revealed the 
work of the steward ; and it had a most wholesome ef- 
fect. Using this suggestion, we incorporated a more 
comprehensive blank report in a " Steward's Collec- 
tion Book," recently devised, and which, we hope, will 
accomplish good. A steward's collection book should 
always be ready for inspection by any member of our 
Church. In the order of business for the Quarterly 



STEWARDS. 37 

Conference, prescribed in the Discipline, we need the 
following question to appear just after the eighteenth 
"inquiry": "Have the stewards ' Steward's Collec- 
tion Books/ and have they kept them correctly? " 
(The Conference shall call for these books to be ex- 
amined.) [1 and 4.] 

KECOTJDIXG STEWARD. 

The Discipline, Paragraph 195, thus defines the du- 
ties of a recording steward: "To preserve the records of 
the Quarterly Conference, and to report to the Joint 
Board of Finance of the Annual Conference a full ac- 
count of the acts of his board of stewards the preced- 
ing year, and to have the same at the Quarterly Con- 
ference and at the District Conference for examina- 
tion." He should not be negligent or careless, but 
faithful in all these duties. Bishop McTyeire, in 
" Manual of the Discipline," page 252, furnishes the 
following form for report of recording steward : 

To the Joint Eoard of Finance of the Annual Conference of the 

Methodist Episcopal Church, South, to he held at , Decemher 8, 

137—. 

Dear Brethren : The undersigned Recording Steward of 

Circuit (Station or Mission), of District, of Annual 

Conference, submits the following report of the acts of the 
Board of Stewards of said circuit (station or mission) for the 
year ending December 8, 1S7 — . 

Estimated for preacher in charge $1,000 00 

Paid 900 00 

Estimated for presiding elder 100 00 

Paid 90 CO 

Estimated for bishops , 10 CO 

Paid " 8 03 

Estimated for Conference collections 140 00 

Paid 150 00 

g. w. xr- — , n. s. 

Salem, S. C, November 20, 1S7— . 



38 THE COUNCIL MEETING. 

DISTRICT STEWARDS. 

The Discipline, Paragraph 85, directs the Quarterly 
Conference to elect stewards, " and of the stewards to 
appoint one a recording and one a district steward." 

Paragraph 196 directs: "There shall he held an- 
nually, in every district, a meeting composed of one 
steward from each pastoral charge, to be elected by the 
Quarterly Conference, on the nomination of the pre- 
siding eider, at the annual election of stewards. It 
shall be their duty, after consultation with the presid- 
ing elder, who shall preside in such meeting, to esti- 
mate the traveling expenses and salary of the presid- 
ing elder, and apportion the same, together with the 
collections ordered by the Annual Conference and ap- 
portioned to said district by the Joint Board of Pi- 
nance, among the several charges of the district, ac- 
cording to their ability." 

It is exceedingly important that each district stew- 
ard should attend this meeting and represent his own 
charge. Sometimes in the absence of a steward his 
pastor is recognized as the representative. This is 
not legal, and it should not be encouraged; yet it may 
sometimes become expedient. When a steward is in 
attendance, his pastor, if present, should be reticent, 
except when questioned, or it becomes necessary for 
him to offer information that will not be known other- 
wise; then he should delicately and briefly make his 
statement. I have known of only one instance of a 
preacher acting indiscreetly; yet hindrances of this 
sort have been such that the district stewards, by reso- 
lution, refused the attendance of all who could not le- 
gally be present. 

District stewards should appreciate the office of pre- 
siding elder, and realize that it is indispensable to the 
Methodist itinerancy. His salary should accord with 
his needs and his work. His expenses are necessarily 



STEWARDS. 39 

heavy, and the perquisites of his office are very small. 
His work is heavier probably than that of any two of 
the pastors. As a rule, our presiding elders have qual- 
ifications that would claim for them good salaries in 
the pastorate; and our districts cannot afford, by sorry 
support, to force the appointment of only inefficient 
men to this office. For the benefit of pastors and peo- 
ple we need as presiding elders most efficient men to 
encourage development in all interests. His salary 
should be divided among the charges according to sal- 
aries of pastors, which should express their ability and 
willingness to pay to the support of the ministry. 



CHAPTER VI. 

Financial Suppoet of the Church. 

In treating this important subject, I fear that an ef- 
fort at multum in parvo may cause me to be blunt 
at times; but I will try to avoid the several errors that 
now threaten me. 

Certainly all of us have faults; possibly all of us 
have merits. We should cherish our excellences and 
correct our defects. To be wise, then, we should not 
decline to look upon our own mistakes, though disa- 
greeable. The Bible specially may be a mirror to us 
to help our adorning. 

Among Christians and the irreligious, one of the 
most extensive sins is avaricious covetousness. It is 
seductive and destructive to an individual, and obstruc- 
tive to the Church. God, in his Book, condemns this 
sin and warns us of its evils. 

In the study of words, some think Cain's sin " was 
withholding what was God's." Deut. v. 21: "Nei- 
ther shalt thou desire thy neighbor's wife, neither shalt 
thou covet thy neighbor's house, his field, ... 
his ox, or his ass, or anything that is thy neighbor's." 
Ps. x. 3 : " For the wicked boasteth of his heart's de- 
sire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the Lord abhor- 
reth." Luke xii. 15: "And he said unto them, Take 
heed, and beware of covetousness : for a man's life con- 
sisteth not in the abundance of the things which he 
possesseth." Isa. v. 8 : " Woe unto them that join 
house to house, that lay field to field, till there be no 
place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of 
the earth! " (See also verses 9, 10.) Isa. lvii. 17: "For 
the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote 
(40) 



FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF THE CHURCH. 41 

him: I hid me, and was wroth, and he went on fro- 
wardlj in the way of his heart." Deut. viii. 11-17 : 
" Beware . . . lest when thou hast eaten and 
art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt there- 
in; and when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and 
thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou 
hast is multiplied; then thine heart be lifted up, and 
thou forget the Lord thy God. . . . And thou 
say in thine heart, My power and the might of my 
hand hath gotten me this wealth." 1 Tim. vi. 9, 10 : 
" But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a 
snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which 
drown men in destruction and perdition. For the 
love of money is the root of all evil : which while some 
coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and 
pierced themselves through with many sorrows." 
Mark x. 25: " It is easier for a camel to go through 
the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into 
the kingdom of God." Christ teaches that it is im- 
possible for a man who puts his heart on riches instead 
of God to enter his kingdom. In Luke xii. 16-21 
Christ represents a rich man who decided to build 
larger barns and store away his goods for many years, 
then to take his ease, eat, drink, and be merry, rather 
than to lay up treasures in heaven. " But God said 
unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be re- 
quired of thee : then whose shall those things be, 
which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up 
treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." 
Such a man is an idolater. Col. iii. 5 : " Covetous- 
ness, which is idolatry." Eph. v. 5: "Nor covetous 
man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the 
kingdom of Christ and of God." Such a man has 
more confidence in the power of his money than in the 
power and love and fidelity of God. It is not that 
there is sin in a gold or silver dollar or any number of 



42 THE COUNCIL MEETING. 

them, any more than in any other metal; but the sin 
is in putting one's heart and trust in these perishable 
things, rather than in the worship and services and 
providence of God. 

A beautiful lesson appears in Matt. vi. 19-34. Is 
your life annoyed with consuming care for something 
to eat? " Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow 
not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet 
your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not 
much better than they? " Are you making life a bur- 
den to yourself in an effort for raiment? " Consider 
the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, 
neither do they spin : and yet I say unto you, That even 
Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of 
these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the 
field, . . . shall he not much more clothe you, 
O ye of little faith ? . . . Seek ye first the king- 
dom of God, and his righteousness ; and all these things 
shall be added unto you." This duty claims prece- 
dence in time and importance. If the Bible be true, 
the reward promised justifies obedience. This pas- 
sage does not encourage us in indolence, or expecta- 
tion that God will feed us in the same way he does 
birds, or clothe us in the same way he does flowers. If 
we seek and enjoy the kingdom of God and his right- 
eousness, we will be industrious; yet we can have 
sweet rest in him, knowing that he will as certainly 
provide for us, after our kind, as he does for the birds 
and lilies each after their kind. Here is a " Chris- 
tian's secret of a happy life." To seek satisfaction 
in worldly wealth is like pursuing a mirage : it is eva- 
sive. Prov. xxiii. 4, 5 : " Labor not to be rich. . . . 
Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for 
riches certainly make themselves wings ; they fly away 
as an eagle toward heaven." Isa. Iv. 2: "Where- 
fore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? 



FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF THE CHURCH. 43 

and your labor for that which satisfieth not? hearken 
diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and 
let your soul delight itself in fatness." In Pro v. xxx. 
8, Agur was wise: ''Give me neither poverty nor 
riches; feed me with food convenient for me." James 
i. 11: " The sun is no sooner risen with a burning 
heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof 
falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: 
so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways." But 
" the word of the Lord endureth forever "; and if we 
obey it, we shall live forever. It teaches that what 
we may have, much or little, came by God's blessings 
upon our labors. (Deut. viii. IS.) 1 Cor. iv. 7 : " \Yha L 
hast thou that thou didst not receive ? now if thou didst 
receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not 
received it? " (See also 1 Kings xx. 3; Ps. 1. 10-12.) 
"We should not waste our substance, whatever it be, in 
riotous living, but " gladly spend and be spent " in 
God's service ; for we are his. Rom. xiv. 8 : " Wheth- 
er we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, 
we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or 
die, we are the Lord's." 1 John iii. IT, 18 : " Whoso 
hath this world's goods, and seeth his brother have 
need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from 
him, how dwelieth the love of God in him? . 
Let us not love in word, neither in tongue ; but in deed 
and in truth." ATany show very little love for God 
by deeds of charity or direct support of the Church, 
at home or abroad ; yet the Bible is abundant in teach- 
ings upon these obligations. Eph. ii. 10 : " We are 
his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good 
works," etc. This verse and its context and parallel 
passages teach that it is not by good works we are 
brought into Christ, but by the " washing of regen- 
eration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost " — his work- 
manship. In this production there is then fixed an 
4 



11 THE COUNCIL MEETING. 

element, or principle, of interest in and love for God 
and his cause that will express itself in results: "Cre- 
ated in Christ Jesus unto good works." " Faith, if it 
hath not works, is dead." 

One of our members owns over a thousand acres 
of valuable land, much fine stock, money drawing in- 
terest, and every year sells several hundred dollars' 
worth of tobacco, and other produce as well; and he 
pays (" gives ") one dollar to the Church. In an- 
other community lives a member who owns several 
hundred acres of land, and does nearly as well as the 
first mentioned, in worldly prosperity; yet he pays 
(" gives ") twenty-five cents annually for the gospel. 
A lady of the Church asked him if this report of the 
stewards was true. He replied: "Of course; I am 
not able to pay any more." She rejoined: " That is 
all the religion you get, twenty-five cents' worth." 
He never had that. True religion, in large enough 
field, will yield more fruit than that in any soil. We 
have still another member, who owns three farms, has 
the finest stock within ten miles of him, lends money 
at big interest, makes money generally. The steward, 
his neighbor,, is poor, lives on a rented farm, but pays 
eight dollars a year. He replied to the steward: "An 
assessment of five dollars! I'll never pay it! " 
" Will you pay $2.50, then? " " i\ T o; I can stay at 
home cheaper than that, and I'll do it." That unfor- 
tunate congregation had another member nearly as 
bad. They might do well to outwit the devil by ex- 
pelling those men from the Church. 

One of our stewards said in Quarterly Conference: 
" I have on my list names of some hard cases. One 
man has a good home, has enough of everything need- 
ful; but he has paid to the Church only $2.50 in the 
last seventeen years." Another steward, on a different 
circuit, said: " I have on my list the name of a man 



FINANCIAL SUPPOBT OP THE CHURCH. 45 

who sells every year six or seven thousand pounds of 
cotton, other things as well, holds prayer meetings, 
talks in revivals, exhorts, and shouts, and pays the 
Church each year one dollar for himself, wife, and two 
children, and will not pay more." 

In pastoral charge of a certain station, Mrs. "Wilson 
and I were improving the churchyard, which work 
iiad been needed for many years. I went to a mer- 
chant, a member of our Church, for a small wooden 
box (6x10x5 inches) in which to plant a geranium for 
the churchyard. He charged me ten cents for it. 
Another merchant, a steward, charged me five cents 
for a five-cent ball of twine to be used with vines. 
Each man knew the object of my purchase. I prob- 
ably never, even now, see either of those men without 
feeling an impulse of pity that he, an intelligent hu- 
man being, from a selfish, narrow, blind, covetous spir- 
it, should become so insensible to Christian and civil 
proprieties. Many preachers have had such expe- 
riences, yet such men are comparatively few; so they 
make an impression when we do endure their touch. 

In another charge was a member of our Church, "Un- 
cle Ab. Akers," who loved his Church, and was glad to 
do anything he possibly could for it, though he was 
quite a poor man. The stewards assessed him a small 
sum. He said to them : " That is not enough ; I will pay 
ten dollars." He paid it. Sometimes he would work 
two or three days improving the parsonage- or its prem- 
ises, and would never accept from me any pay, unless 
it was work the Church engaged him to do; and then it 
was quite a moderate charge, if any at all. I paid him 
only by giving him presents. When I would be from 
home, in passing the parsonage he would stop every 
day and ask Mrs. Wilson if he could do anything for 
her, arid would say: " I must see after my preacher's 
family when he is from home." He died suddenly; 



43 THE COUNCIL MEETING. 

and certainly no community ever sorrowed over the 
death of any citizen more than that town and its com- 
munity, white and black, did over his death. Even 
his dog, for three weeks or more after his burial, would 
lie upon his grave, and only leave his watch to go for 
his meals, and return. The people erected a modest 
monument to that man's memory; and I now gladly, 
yet sadly, make this record of that good man. 

We have providentially distributed over the dis- 
trict many good and true members, who, I trust, will 
serve as leaven to affect for good the whole body ; yet 
we have many men and women such as described 
above. They remind me of a letter from Silas Gan- 
derfoot, of Ciderville Circuit, to his " Deer Jess." 
The new preacher, " Bruther Sunshine," in his ser- 
mons was pressing subscriptions for the new " meetin' 
house." Silas wrote : " I kan't tell you how quick I 
got nervous when he begun to tawk like that, fur I 
dident kno what minit he wud spile the meetin' by 
goin' in at it and takin' up a kulluckshun. I like to 
set under preechen ez well ez anybody, so long ez it 
hain't nuthm' more than preechen ; but Ide rather be 
'most anywhere else than in a meetin' house when a 
preecher stops iggszortin' and goes to beggin'. Unkel 
Peelez and Bruther Kalup Chiller and me has ben kep 
on a strane ever sense the noshun was fust started of 
bniidin' a new meetin' house, and there hain't no tell- 
in' what may happen to us before it's up and paid fur. 
Unkel Peelez sez he has the mizry in his chist so mutch 
now that mebbe he ort to go and visit fur a few munths 
with his dawter up in Mishigin. Frum the way he 
tawks Ike 'spect about the only thing that will keep 
him from doin' it is the tumble price they charge fur 
travelin' on the railroads. I tell you, Jess, it's a-git- 
tin' to be a dredful site harder to injoy religyun thun 
it was when Bruther Skybuster was a-livin' in the pas- 



FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF THE CHUECH. 47 

sunidge. It seems to me that it's a shame that folks 
who think ez mutch ov niunny ez I do shud be kep in 
sech konstant danger ov having to part with it. I 
don't mind doiir 5 my part tords the preecher by takin' 
a basket ov stuff now and then to the passunidge ; but 
when it kurns to skellin' out greenbax, I don't keer 
what you say, it makes me feel ez tho' I don't keer 
mutch if I do backslide. I like to set purty well tords 
lite frunt in meetin', and never feel sorry that I've 
jined church when Ime at a funeral; but when Ime 
tormented until I jest hav to put my hand in my pock- 
et and give away so mutch kold munny, it takes the 
courage out uv me so kumplete that I don't feel ez tho' 
I had a bit more backbone than a yarn gallus." 

All such people who are able, but will not do, ought 
to bring themselves into judgment, as a Brother Ilas- 
tin, of Manlyville Circuit, did five years ago. He 
questioned : " If I had a man serving me as I serve the 
Lord, what would I do with him? I would not pay 
him, and I would dismiss him." There in the woods 
he knelt in prayer. Since then he has been trying 
to do his duty. God blesses us in duty, not out of it. 

The Xew York Observer furnished the following 
story, with its good lesson: "At a meeting of leading 
members of three city churches, called to raise money 
for an important new enterprise, there was little re- 
sponse in the way of subscription, though all applaud- 
ed the object. Dr. Brainard (for thirty years a pas- 
tor in Philadelphia) arose, faced the rich men, and 
thus addressed them : ' Brethren, the Lord has denied 
to you the privilege of exercising many of the most 
precious graces of the Christian character which, in 
his infinite mercy, he has vouchsafed to the rest of us. 
You never knew what it was to repose absolute, unas- 
sisted faith in God for the things of this world; you 
never had to go to sleep at night without knowing 



(Lti THE COUNCIL MEETING. 

where your breakfast was to come from; you never 
had a sick child wasting away for the want of costly 
luxuries; you never had to deny yourself the gratifi- 
cation of the impulses of pity when a sufferer came 
to your door; you never had to endure the humilia- 
tion of being dunned for an honest debt without know- 
ing whether you could ever pay it. All these unspeak- 
able advantages in developing Christian character in- 
scrutable Providence has taken from you and bestowed 
upon us poor men. The one solitary grace of the 
Christian life which has been denied to us and given 
to you is the grace of liberality; and if you don't ex- 
ercise that, the Lord have mercy on your souls/ 
That bold appeal did the work. 77 Many of our people 
of moderate means also need Dr. Brainard's exhorta- 
tion. 

Eev. J. IT. Pritehett wrote in Review of Missions : 
iC By every available token we are justified in meas- 
uring the genuineness and depth of a member's spirit- 
ual life by the generosity of his giving. Think as 
you may, talk and write as you please, it is neverthe- 
less unquestionably true that a man's profession of re- 
ligion can be better tested and measured by the mo- 
tive and extent of his giving than by any other known 
method." 

The Bible gives much instruction on our obliga- 
tion to the poor, and many such passages are most en- 
couraging with precious promises to the obedient and 
charitable and liberal: " He that hath a bountiful eye 
shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the 
poor." " He hath dispersed, he hath given to the 
poor; his righteousness endureth forever; his horn 
shall be exalted with honor." " If thou draw out thy 
soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul ; then 
shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as 
the noonday. And the Lord shall guide thee contin- 



FINANCIAL SUPPOET OF THE CHUECfl. 49 

ually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and. make fat 
thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, 
and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not." 
" He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the 
Lord; and that which he hath given will he pay him 
again." " He that giveth to the poor shall not lack." 
" Cast thy bread upon the waters; for thou shalt find 
it after many days." " Give, and it shall be given 
unto you ; good measure, pressed down, and shaken to- 
gether, and running over, shall men give into your 
bosom." " Charge them that are rich in this world, 
. . . that they be rich in good works, ready to dis- 
tribute, willing to communicate ; laying up in store for 
themselves a good foundation against the time to come, 
that they may lay hold on eternal life." " Honor the 
Lord with thy substance, and with the first fruits of all 
thine increase : so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, 
and thy presses shall burst out with new wine." So 
God justly demands the "first fruits " — not the last 
and superfluous or unmarketable — from flocks, herds, 
or fields. God said (Ex. xx.) : " I am the Lord thy 
God, which have brought thee out of the land of 
Egypt, out of the house of bondage." Suggestive. 
Then follows the first of the Ten Commandments: 
" Thou shalt have no other gods before me. . . . 
For I the Lord thy God am a jealous God." All our 
good comes from him, even our very life. He has the 
highest claim upon us. We should form no debts we 
cannot pay; but, of all obligations, allow none to su- 
persede God's claim. One of our stewards, a good 
man, but in error, still owed some for his productive 
farm and enjoyable home, the payment of which he 
could more wisely defer than to repudiate part of his 
assessment for the Church, which was already too 
small. He withheld his crop of tobacco from market 
to get a better price. He began his economy with the 



50 THE COUNCIL MEETING. 

Church, where many others begin, while obligations 
to God and his Church should be the first met. It is 
true, a man is not, by legal process, forced to pay this; 
besides, if he omits this indebtedness till after Confer- 
ence, it, as a debt, is canceled. As mere means of es- 
cape these avenues should never be traveled by any 
one. Honorable principle should be as binding as 
any civil or ecclesiastical law. Thus many put God's 
claims last, and do not allow them on a basis even of 
equal importance with others, while they should be 
first. " The first of the first fruits of thy land thou 
shalt bring into the house of the Lord thy God." 
" Likewise shalt thou do with thine oxen, and with 
thy sheep." Paul classed the grace of liberality with 
that of faith, etc. 2 Cor. viii. 7, 8 : " Therefore, as 
ye abound in everything, in faith, and utterance, and 
knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to 
us, see that ye abound in this grace also, . . .to 
prove the sincerity of your love." God is well pleased 
with such exhibitions of love. Cornelius saw in a vi- 
sion coming unto him an angel of God, who said: 
" Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a me- 
morial before God." " But to do good and to commu- 
nicate forget not : for with such sacrifices God is well 
pleased." 

For the maintenance of the Levites, whom God 
chose for the service of his tabernacle and temple, the 
Jews were commanded to appropriate the tenth part 
of the produce of their fields; also the tenth of their 
goats, sheep, and horned cattle. (Num. xviii. 21; 
Lev. xxvii. 32.) Another division of a tenth was ap- 
plied in the temple service for the celebration of cer- 
tain feasts. Special provisions were also made for the 
poor. All this was, as God said, " that thou mayest 
learn to fear the Lord thy God always." It succeed- 
ed also in the cultivation of a beneficent spirit, most 



FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF THE CHURCH. LI 

worthy, winch was often exhibited in voluntary con- 
tributions. For building the tabernacle in the wil- 
derness God, through Moses, said to them (Ex. xxxv. 
5) : " Whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring 
. . . an offering of the Lord ; gold, and silver, and 
brass/' etc. Yerse 21: "And they came, every one 
whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his 
spirit made willing. . . . They came, both men 
and women, as many as were willing-hearted, and 
brought bracelets, and earrings, ... all jewels 
of gold/ 7 etc., choicest of their possessions. With 
" 'willing hearts " they contributed more than enough, 
and Moses restrained them. Six hundred years pass 
by. "Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken up 
the house of God; and also all the dedicated things of 
the house of the Lord did they bestow upon Baalim." 
Joash came to the throne, and " was minded to repair 
the house of the Lord." They put a chest " without 
the gate of the house of the Lord. . . . All the 
people rejoiced, and brought in, and cast into the 
chest, until they had made an end, . . . and 
gathered money in abundance. 7 ' Their system and 
education, in spite of their occasional lapses into idol- 
atry, induced those people to be liberal and to bring 
their contributions to the temple. Besides, " it was a 
constant custom for ail who entered the temple to car- 
ry money with them to give to the treasury or to the 
poor or to both." (Clarke on Acts iii. 5.) Our peo- 
ple — men, women, and children — should practice the 
same customs. The reflex influence of our financial 
support of the Church, at home and abroad, is like to 
that of other parts of worship, song, prayer, medita- 
tion, hearing a sermon. In proper mind, a people 
would not have their religious fervor repressed by an 
appropriate collection, but enhanced. Sam Jones 
said : " ISTo meeting is what it ought to be till the sis- 



52 THE COUNCIL MEETING. 

ters can shout all the way through a collection." In 
such practice we expel selfishness and learn sympathy 
for humanity. " It is more blessed to give than to re- 
ceive." " Eo man can be a Christian and consume 
God's bounty upon himself." This lesson is impres- 
sive as it appears in Matt. xx. 20-29. The world 
would estimate an individual by his position, attained 
one way or another. Christ presents a different ideal: 
" Whosoever will be great among you, let him be your 
minister; and whosoever will be chief among you, let 
him be your servant : even as the Son of man came not 
to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his 
life a ransom for many." 

Some think they are too poor to pay or give any- 
thing. J. H. Pritchett again wrote: "Every re- 
deemed soul has something wherewith to pay and give, 
as unto the Lord; if not dollars, then cents; if not 
cents, then some other testimonial of obligation and 
gratitude, work, prayer, praise — something, i accord- 
ing to that he hath, not according to that he hath not/ 
The two turtledoves, or the two young pigeons, in 
the hands of honest poverty were equally valuable in 
God's esteem with the lamb, or even the bullock, in 
the hands of the rich." We are ready to labor and 
make sacrifice for any object of our affections. If we 
love God and his Church and have faith in his care for 
us, we are ready and anxious to make any sacrifice we 
reasonably can in his service. (Mark xii. 41-44.) 
Christ saw many that were rich cast much into the 
treasury. A poor widow " threw in two mites, which 
make a farthing " — half a cent of our money. Christ 
said: " This poor widow hath cast more in than all 
they which have cast into the treasury; for all they did 
cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did 
cast in all that she had, even all her living." She 
proved the sincerity of her love and faith also. & 



FINANCIAL SUPPORT OP THE CHURCH. bo 

Dr. Kelley is quoted as saying: " JSo one who has 
been a member of the Church twelve months without 
paying something to its support has any right to call 
himself or herself a Christian." He is likely correct. 
I said: "Any one not dependent on the Church for 
aid is able to help the Church. 7 ' A Brother Shelton, 
a minister of another Church, modified my views 
somewhat by relating the following: " My congrega- 
tion put into my hands five dollars and requested me 
to carry it to old Brother Jones, who had long been 
sick at his little home. He was very poor, needed 
medicine and more suitable diet. The old soldier for 
a while held the money in his hand and wept. Then, 
with messages of love to his benefactors, he returned 
one dollar, saying: ' Give this to the Church as my 
contribution for its work.' " 

Near Hollow Rock Junction lives, with her chil- 
dren, a good woman, about ninety years old, and quite 
poor in this world's goods. Every year she dried fruit, 
picked cotton, and did other work for money to pay 
two dollars to her pastor, Brother Fuzzell. She made 
monthly payments. She would not accept this money 
from her children. One year she planted beans, cul- 
tivated, gathered, and sold them for money with which 
she bought calico to use in making a quilt for a pres- 
ent to her pastor's wife. She alone made the quilt. I 
enjoyed the privilege of sleeping one night under that 
quilt. I felt unusually safe under such a covering. 
Do you discover any superstition in that last sentence ? 
That may be a window through which you may look 
in; I do not know. 

The Pacific Methodist gave the following: "A pas- 
tor one day visited one of his parishioners, a poor wom- 
an, who lived in one small room, and made a living by 
her needle. He says : c She put three dollars into my 
hand and said, " There is my contribution to the 



51 THE COUNCIL MEETING. 

Church, fund." " But you are not able to give so 
much." " G, yes/' she replied, " I have learned how 
to give now." "How is that?" I asked. "Three 
months ago you preached a sermon in which you told 
us that you did not believe one of your people was so 
poor but that if he loved Christ he could find some 
way of showing that love by his gifts. I went home 
and had a good cry over that sermon. I said to my- 
self, i My minister don't know how poor I am, or he 
never could have said that ' ; but from crying I at last 
got to praying, and when I told Jesus all about it, I 
seemed to get an answer in my heart that dried up all 
tears." "What was the answer?" I asked, deeply 
moved by her recital. " Only this, ' If you cannot 
give as other people do, give like a little child ' ; and I 
have been doing it ever since. When I have a penny 
over from my sugar or loaf of bread, I lay it aside for 
Jesus; and so I have gathered it all in pennies. Since 
I began to give to the Lord, I have always had more 
money in the house for myself; and it is wonderful 
how the work comes pouring in. So many are com- 
ing to see me that I never knew before. It used to 
be I could not pay my rent without borrowing some- 
thing, but it is so no more. The dear Lord is so kind." 
This poor woman in five months brought fifteen dol- 
lars, all saved in a nice little box I had given her ; and 
in twelve months twenty-one dollars. She apparently 
grew more in Christian character in that one year than 
in all the previous years of her connection with the 
Church.' " 

The Union Gospel News gave the following inci- 
dent of Mr. Kincaid's work in 1841, as he recorded it 
of " Karen Woman's Rupee : " " ' I went to the house 
of an aged woman who worshiped God. Tor several 
months she had been unable to leave the house, and 
was fast wearing out with consumption. She has 



FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF THE CHURCH. bo 

four children; but one is blind, and another is deaf. 
She is very poor. The house might have been worth 
fifteen rupees, and all in it fifteen more [an East In- 
dian coin; " the current silver rupee is valued at forty- 
six cents "]. She could talk but little on account of 
her cough, but expressed great anxiety for the eternal 
welfare of her children. After about an hour spent in 
conversation and prayer, I rose to take my leave, when 
the poor woman bade me remain a little longer. She 
crept along to another part of the house ; and, return- 
ing soon, she put into my hand a rupee. I could not 
comprehend what she meant, and said: " What is to 
be done with this? " " This is very little," she re- 
plied; " but it is all I have, and it is to help the cause 
of Christ." " But you are old and infirm and poor." 
" Yes; but I love Christ, and this is very little." Sure- 
ly, I thought, here in the midst of poverty and decrep- 
itude is a converted heathen exercising the enlight- 
ened faith which works by love, purifies the heart, and 
overcomes the world. For days I could not cease 
from reflecting on the expression, " This is to help the 
cause of Christ "; and when I thought of the withered 
hand and wrinkled face of her who gave it, that rupee 
was magnified to a thousand times its real value. 7 " 

Miss Ida M. Worth visited in Japan the famous tem- 
ple called Kompira San, where thousands of pilgrims 
go every year to worship. She found many pilgrims 
on the steps worshiping. She said : " They always 
paid their money first, clapped their hands, and then 
made their prayer." 

The pastor of a negro congregation near Manly- 
ville, Tenn., two and a half years ago told Brother E". 
R. Waters that his twenty-one members there prom- 
ised him forty dollars; that they paid him monthly, 
and that they never failed to pay what they promised. 

In the southern part of the district is another negro 



56 THE COUNCIL MEETING. 

congregation, which numbered sixty members, and 
which promised their, pastor eighty dollars, and never 
thought of failure. Every one paid something, and 
they paid monthly. Many other negro congregations 
are doing as well, for which we should all be thankful 
to G od. Of course many do nothing, or but little. 

Some of our own congregations, specially the sta- 
tions and a few in the country, deserve much credit 
for their fidelity, while others never do so well. Last 
year there were eighteen pastoral charges in the dis- 
trict. Eleven of them assessed for the support of their 
preacher less than one dollar per member. In some 
of our congregations one-third of the members, in oth- 
ers one-half, in others two-thirds, and in some others 
four-fifths of the members pay nothing at all for the 
support of the ministry ; and these same persons seldom 
pay anything for any interest in the Church. 

Several years ago an Irish woman entered our car 
as we passed Bartlett, going to Memphis. The con- 
ductor soon called for her ticket. In a very brusk 
manner she said: " !No, sir; I have no ticket." " Then 
please pay the money," he said. " I have no money. 
You shall carry me into the city free." " I cannot so 
violate the rules of the road," he responded. " You 
shall, sir," she declared. He reached for the bell rope 
to stop the train to put her off, but she then said: 
"■Here"! If you are going to do that way, I'll pay 
you." She opened her purse and paid him full fare. 
I thought: How many are trying thus to " beat their 
way " to the " heavenly Jerusalem," but the rules of 
the road forbid! 

Paul, m 2 Cor. viii. 2-5, writes of the liberality of 
the poor churches of Macedonia : " How that in a 
great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and 
their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their 
liberality. . . . Beyond their power they were 



FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF THE CHURCH. 57 

willing of themselves. . . . And this they did, 
not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the 
Lord/' Their liberality was an easy consequence of 
their gift of themselves to the Lord. Paul, by " occa- 
sion of the forwardness of others/' exhorts the Co- 
rinthians " to prove the sincerity of their love," and 
argues also the example of the sacrifice of Christ: 
" .For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that 
though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, 
that ye through his poverty might be rich." " If any 
man hath not the spirit of Christ, he is none of his." 
Also the riches of God's goodness and forbearance 
and long-suffering should lead us to repentance and 
provoke us unto good works. 

There are many other passages of the Bible that 
should edify. Prov. xi. 24, 25: " There is that scat- 
tereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withhold- 
eth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty. The 
liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth 
shall be watered also himself." This promises a re- 
ward for charity to the poor and liberality to the 
Church, but declares adversity to the contracted mind. 

The Jews had withheld their support and offerings 
from the temple until the service and worship of God 
were neglected and looked upon with disfavor. In 
Mai. iii. 8-11 God in pity warns them, and offers mercy 
and great blessings if they will return to duty: " "Will 
a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. . . . 
In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: 
for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring 
ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be 
meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith 
the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows 
of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there 
shall not be room enough to receive it." If a man 
robs God, he would, with favorable opportunity, rob 



58 THE COUNCIL MEETING. 

men. He has the disposition; yet God is merciful, and 
offers pardon. Such blessings were only promised on 
condition of their bringing the required support to the 
worship of God. So he deals with us to-day. The 
principles of his government are always the same. 2 
Cor. ix. 6-8 : " lie which soweth sparingly shall reap 
also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall 
reap also bountifully. Every man according as he 
purposeth in his heart, so let him give ; not grudgingly, 
or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And 
God is able to make all grace abound toward you ; that 
ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may 
abound to every good work." Is that not fair, just, 
and liberal toward us? Then is it not clearly dishon- 
est when we want so many blessings from God, boun- 
tiful reaping, while we sow sparingly? Besides, we 
often contribute " grudgingly, or of necessity," while 
God demands that we give heartily. He " loveth a 
cheerful giver." 

In Matt. xxv. appears the parable of talents. The 
" man " intrusted his goods to servants. To one he 
gave five talents ; to another, two ; and to another, one. 
The man, on his return, had a reckoning with the serv- 
ants. Two of them had been equally faithful with 
different trusts, so they received equal rewards. The 
third had hid his master's money in the earth, and nev- 
er used it. His lord said: " Take the talent from him, 
and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For 
unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall 
have abundance ; but from him that hath not shall be 
taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye the 
unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall 
be weeping and gnashing of teeth." 

In Luke xix. appears the parable of pounds. The 
" nobleman " intrusted to each of his ten servants one 
pound. On his return they made report. They had 



FINANCIAL SUPPORT OP THE CHURCH. 59 

been differently faithful with equal trusts, hence their 
master rewarded those who had increased his goods 
differently and according to their fidelity; but upon 
the servant who hid his pound in a napkin and re- 
turned it entire he pronounced a rebuke. The un- 
faithful servant in each parable was not charged with 
murder, not even with dishonesty. Each was charged 
of sin, in that he did nothing in the service of his mas- 
ter, and was punished for it. 

Christ teaches in these parables that God will so 
deal with all who are now doing as those servants did. 
5 



CHAPTEK VII. 

Excuses. 

We often hear from certain kinds of people excuses 
for not paying to the support of the Church, such as : 
" It costs too much to run the Church now, much more 
than in old times." It seems that the reason of such 
men is lost in their stinginess, specially with the 
Church. The Church does cost more, but it accom- 
plishes more. Would we have the Church return to 
the slow pace of former times in this country? " The 
preacher has not visited me." " Our pastor can't 
preach." " Our preacher neglects his work." Sup- 
pose all that be true, the members owe so much to the 
Church, not to the preacher. The Church owes the 
preacher. Has a citizen a right to refuse to pay taxes 
to civil government because the money he pays in 
will help support a civil officer he objects to? The 
civil law forces him to do his part. He takes advan- 
tage of the Church because no law compels him to pay. 
An honorable man will try to do right without co- 
ercion from any law. " The preacher wears fine 
clothes, bought with our money we made by hard 
work. Let him work." Why not exact the same of 
your lawyer or physician? Suppose they spend in 
farm work the time needed in cultivation of a crop 
and care of a farm, what kind of lawyers and physi- 
cians would you have? " The preacher has more 
money than I have now." " He doesn't need money, 
anyway." Suppose that be true, and that your 
preacher be worth a million of dollars, have you a 
right to withhold the wages of a man who labors on 
your farm or in your shop or store, or withhold money 
you owe your merchant on the ground that lie is now 
(60) 



EXCUSES. 61 

worth more than you? If that be dishonest, it is as 
bad to treat your preacher so. " He has a better horse 
and buggy than I have now/' You should be glad 
of it. You may never own a horse or a buggy. Your 
want of one may be from choice or lack of enterprise. 
Would you have him hampered in his work by having 
to walk or by driving an old, worn-out horse to a worn- 
out buggy? If that suited your taste, how would it 
suit that of hundreds of others? A preacher should 
be well equipped in every way for his work, and pre- 
pared, by neat dress and every other proper means, to 
enter any good society and any home. " I don't like 
the assessment plan; it is a tax." It is not an exaction, 
merely an apportionment by the stewards to be con- 
sented to by the members. No Church without such 
system ever approaches its duty. The success of all 
that try this plan declares its efficiency; and I -believe 
in nearly or quite all cases the objection is a mere 
subterfuge. Some croakers threaten to leave the 
Church when any spirit of progress is shown. Don't 
be frightened, brethren. Their withdrawal will not 
destroy the Church. Let such men go. In the 
Church they would forever obstruct progress. Let 
them go, or, if they prefer continuing in our Church, 
never be influenced by their depressing words or ex- 
ample. 

" Hard times. We must put our pastor's salary 
low, and let him bear the burden with his people." 
That is a plausible excuse ; but the people of this coun- 
try have never known hard times to justify this plea. 
The salaries of our preachers are already small in the 
most flourishing times, and, when apportioned among 
the members, hardly any one is asked to pay enough 
for it to be any sacrifice; yet the aggregate of what all 
could easily do any year would furnish a comfortable 
support and respectable salary for their preacher. 



62 THE COUNCIL MEETING. 

" Hard times. I need the money myself; can't 
give it to the Church." I say "give." You owe it to 
God, my friend. 

The following story was taken from the Union Gos- 
pel News: "A prosperous member of a Church in 
Scotland was often besought by his pastor to give to 
the work of evangelizing the poor in Glasgow, but 
would always reply: ' IsTa; I need it for mysel'.' One 
night he dreamed that he was at the gate of heaven, 
which was only a few inches ajar. He tried to get in, 
but could not, and was in agony at his poor prospect. 
The face of his minister appeared, who said : 6 Sandy, 
why stand ye glowering there? Why don't ye gae 
in?' 'I can't; I am too large, and my pocketbook 
sticks out whichever way I turn.' i Sandy, think how 
mean you have been to the Lord's poor, and ye will 
grow small to go through the eye of a needle.' He 
awoke, and began to reduce both his pocketbook and 
his carnality by giving to Christ's cause." 



CHAPTER VIII. 

Financial Support of Our Ministry. 

Whatever may be our personal opinions and ex- 
cuses for failure, let us consult the " law and the tes- 
timony." That should be recognized as a " lamp 
unto our feet, and a light unto our path." 

The Levites were chosen of God to do the ordinary 
services about the temple, thus assisting the priests. 
Eor this they received tithes of the heave offerings, 
and no other inheritance among the people; and of this 
they were to give a tenth. Num. xviii. 20-26 : " The 
Lord spake unto Aaron, Thou shalt have no inher- 
itance in their land, neither shalt thou have any part 
among them: I am thy part and thine inheritance 
among the children of Israel. And, behold, I have 
given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an 
inheritance, for their service which they serve, even 
the service of the tabernacle of the congregation. . . . 
The tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer 
as a heave offering unto the Lord, I have given unto 
the Levites to inherit. . . . And the Lord spake 
unto Moses, saying, Thus speak unto the Levites, and 
say unto them, When ye take of the children of Israel 
the tithes which I have given you from them for your 
inheritance, then ye shall offer up a heave offering of 
it for the Lord, even a tenth part of the tithe." Our 
preachers now, as a body, are the most liberal men in 
the world. Deut. xviii. 1-5: "And this shall be the 
priest's due from the people, from them that offer a 
sacrifice, whether it be ox or sheep ; and they shall give 
unto the priest the shoulder, and the two cheeks, and 
the maw. The first fruit also of thy corn, of thy 

(63) 



64 THE COUNCIL MEETING. 

wine [it was not intoxicating wine], and of thine oil, 
and the first of the fleece of thy sheep, shalt thou give 
him. For the Lord thy God hath chosen him out of 
all thy tribes, to stand to minister in the name of the 
Lord, him and his sons forever." Many put this debt 
last, but God says " first " in time and choice. Why 
does God so rate this obligation? Read again Deut. 
xviii. 5 : " For the Lord thy God hath chosen him 
. . . to minister in the name of the Lord." They 
are messengers of God on important business to you, 



all for you. ".Hold such in reputation. " Esteem 
them very highly in love for their work's sake" 
-Nehemiah (xiii. 10, 11) said: " I perceived that the 
portions of the Levites had not been given them: for 
the Levites and the singers, that did the work [in the 
temple], were fled every one to his field [for support]. 
Then contended I with the rulers, and said, Why is 
the house of God forsaken ? " ' Nehemiah renewed 
the service. God had been displeased, and there was 
spiritual death until they returned to God's plan. 
God promises blessings conditionally. (Read Mai. 
iii. 10.) 

Rev. C. O. Jones, of Texas, said: "Any man who 
promises to pay so much to the Church, and then, be- 
cause of some objection to the preacher, or other trivial 
excuse, refuses, is dishonest; and he would not pay oth- 
er debts if he were not compelled by law. Any one 
who is financially able, yet will not promise and will 
not pay, ought to be expelled from the Church for ly- 
ing; for he vowed to support the institutions of the 
Church." 

Among other directions Christ gave the apostles 
when he sent them out, he said (Matt. x. 9, 10) : "Pro- 
vide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses, 
nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither 
shoes, nor yet staves : for the workman is worthy of 



FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF OUR MINISTRY. 65 

his meat." This tells the people their duty, and it is 
to Christ's ministers a promise of his special provi- 
dence. Many preachers at the close of the year can- 
not understand how they lived on such small salary. 
Luke x. 7 : " The laborer is worthy of his hire." 

Read all of 1 Cor. ix. 1-14. I quote a part of it: 
" Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? 
who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit 
thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the 
milk of the flock? . . . It is written in the law 
of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox 
that treadeth out the corn. . . . For our sakes, 
no doubt, this is written : that he that ploweth should 
plow in hope; and that he that thrasheth in hope 
should be partaker of his hope. If we have sown unto 
you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap 
your carnal things? . . . Do ye not know that 
they which minister about holy things live of the 
things of the temple? and they which wait at the al- 
tar are partakers with the altar? Even so hath the 
Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel 
should live of the gospel." Can language be plainer 
than this? Yet Paul preached to the Corinthians 
without charge, lest they might think he was seeking 
theirs rather than them. Still he suspected this was 
not best for them, and wrote them: " Forgive me this 
wrong." (See 2 Cor. xii. 13, 14.) 

Gal. vi. 6 : " Let him that is taught in the word 
communicate unto him that teacheth in all good 
things." 

In the face of all such scripture teachings, many a 
member says, " I just can't raise the money to pay my 
preacher," or church dues, and yet offers no complaint 
in paying his lodge dues for fear he may be suspended 
for nonpayment. 

David went up to buy the thrashing floor of Arau- 



66 THE COUNCIL MEETING. 

nah to offer sacrifice. Araunah offered to give to the 
king all that was desired for the worship. David said : 
" Nay, . . . neither will I offer burnt offerings 
unto the Lord my God of that which doth cost me 
nothing." Noble spirit! Talk about "up-to-date" 
Christians, some people are lagging far behind David ; 
and he offered this sacrifice to God two thousand nine 
hundred and fourteen years ago. 
Let all the people sing: 

Here I give my all to thee — 

Friends and time and earthly store; 

Soul and body thine to be, 
Wholly thine for evermore. 



